Valentine
by Five seas
Summary: Leon, Ken and Yuri strike a pact to change their lives, starting with relationships. However, when the girls come into the picture, things get out of hand. What has Sora brought to Cape Mary and how will things change betwen the two partners? SoraLeon
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Kaleido Star. Do enjoy. **

* * *

Leon Oswald was a man of principle. There was absolutely nothing more annoying to him than a person who skipped on their duties solely because they weren't up to it. As such, he kept to his routine and his goals vigorously-from his career ambitions to the food he ate. It was safe to say that he would rather put up with May's habit of screaming her moves out than deter from his schedule.

Waking up was not an exception. In exactly seven AM he got up, opened the windows to get some fresh air in and started the day with a cold shower and a gallon of coffee.

"_Hurry, hurry, we'll be late!" somebody was calling_

"_I'm almost…aaaaah!"_

"_Dear God, hurry it up back there! They'll leave without us!"_

"_I said I was COMING!"_

"_The plane isn't going to wait for you, May…"_

"_There, I'm here!"_

_  
"Hey, guys, are you sure we shouldn't…"_

_  
"Oh, leave the idiots behind! Layla-san made it perfectly clear that she only takes the ones who are ready for her."_

He slowly sat up in bed and blinked owlishly-did he just hear anything?

Oh, well…Leon swung his feet down and walked to the window. Briskly, he threw the curtains aside and opened it widely. The sun still hid behind the horizon, but the moon and stars had already faded away into the steel gray of the winter sky. Despite the warm climate and the sea, the February morning was cold and crisp, but Leon probably wouldn't have been impressed even if the dormitories were buried under snow.

However, as he went through his routine, he couldn't help feeling strange. He knew that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Well, not like he couldn't deal with anything unexpected, but it was irritating as hell…It wasn't until he went out into the hallway that he got some clue as to what was happening.

First, it was the crunching. Then, it was him feeling the strange texture under his feet. In the end, he slowly looked down as realization dawned on him and…

"This WAS NOT in the arrangement we had, God…" he hissed and punched the wall in frustration.

Because Leon Oswald, the God of Death of Kaledio Stage, the man who prided himself with his ability to foresee things…had just found himself buried alive under a mountain of Valentine's day cards.

* * *

Mia and Anna nearly jumped with excitement as they watched the plane take off. For some time, they had been worried that there would be an opportunity for them to go to their one day's vacation-so crowded was the airport with lovers who were heading for their surprise trip to Paris or New York or the Caribbean. The island Layla-san had chosen for them to go wasn't as well-known, but since she was the heiress to the Hamilton empire, arranging a flight for a place in the middle of the Pacific Ocean was just about as hard as snapping one's fingers.

May snorted and tried to focus on her magazine. It wouldn't take more than an hour for them to land on the little bit of Paradise Layla had promised them as a compensation for their lonely Valentine's Day, and she felt like it would take a millennia with those two on board. The young woman had dismissed the idea of catching up on her beauty sleep long ago, but maybe, just maybe, if she put earplugs on…Ah, who was she kidding?! Even if she did manage to block out the sounds of girls imagining meeting hot guys in some remote island (then again, nice guys were such a rarity they had to be kept in a resort), she would eventually end up pondering over her own miserable love life.

You really should work on your reflexes, the young woman leered inwardly, Sora's beaten you to that as well.

Indeed, the Kaleido Star, and undoubtedly the best one ever, Naegino Sora, who was supposed to be twice more excited about their new adventure than anybody else, was staring silently at the window, deep in thought. It didn't take a genius to figure out her musings, although May couldn't decide whether she felt bad about leaving Ken (who had been VERY enthusiastic about the trip) behind, or Leon (who had no idea of its existence).

Maybe Ken. Even though the boy was too forward, Sora was too kind to kill his hopes. If I were her, May mused, I would've told him how I felt as soon as possible. The faster the better, a clean break heals faster. Then again, she considered after a few minutes, if I was in love with Leon Oswald, I would be more careful with what I'm saying.

It wasn't really his fault, she sighed inwardly. Ken was kind-hearted, hard-working and devoted; everything a girl would dream of…But the thing was…well, if she had to be honest about it…

May fidgeted in her seat, feeling strangely uncomfortable with this. It was new for her, but being honest about the situation, even in her mind, made her feel bad for Ken. The boy's only problem was that he was…that he wasn't…well…Leon. Ken was the kind of man a girl would settle down with, the kind of man that would spoil her rotten and ask nothing but her love. Almost like a dog, he would never tell her that she was fat or that he didn't like something about her. He'd never give his full opinion, and he would never take up the initiative. He wasn't boring but…he had it in him to make girls uncomfortable.

Not that Leon didn't make people uncomfortable. He could kill a woman with a glare at fifty paces and sent a town into the Ice Age if he wanted, but he was exciting. He left no question about his authority and wasn't afraid to speak his opinion. If he only showed something of his feelings, even a remote interest to the members of the fair sex, he would have the whole female population crawling in his feet. Unfortunately, the man was just about as unreachable as the Olympus summit for Ancient Greeks.

No wonder Sora was brooding over this, May thought sadly. She wasn't very sure about her colleague's feelings for her dark partner, but if she told Ken she couldn't love him like he wanted her to, the suspicion would inevitably turn towards Leon. Suspicion turned into gossip, gossip turned into a rumor, and rumor would eventually get to him, and if the Grim Reaper heard about this, he would…Well, strained professional relationship was the least that would happen.

* * *

While May was musing over the inner thoughts of Sora, Leon had managed to dig himself out of the apartment, only to find that the dorms were absolutely empty. Since it was Valentine's (thousand accursed) day, all the crew had gone to town or back home to lovers and friends to enjoy the holiday. Kalos, of course, had hurried to give his employees a day off, before going off to his beach house with Sarah. Even the ones still single had gone off somewhere, leaving Leon deserted with a ton of cards and chocolate.

How could've he forgotten this day? He always had it underline with black on the calendar, and took a week off exclusively to go climbing mountains in South America or walk through the Valley of Death, or hide in Delhi-any remote, wild place would do, for as long as he was away from the avalanches of greeting cards and creepy fans. His phone wouldn't bother him, he would enjoy a well-earned rest, and when he came back, the cleaning service would've taken care of all those pink, fluffy monstrosities they sent him. He was a lone man, after all-eating all that chocolate wasn't in his physical abilities.

Leon found a few cardboard boxes and came back to his room to clean up the mess. Let's see, letters that began with anything between "Honey!" and "My slave" went into the to-be-shred-for-confetti box, the three best-written ones would be answered politely, the downright creepy ones were roughly shred and tossed into the first box. Toys went in the charity box, half the chocolates as well, the other half goes to the cafeteria as soon as the cook is back, and video tapes…well, he could ask if they could be recycled or Ken could try putting them to good use.

Why did he forget? He had never been too busy to run from Valentine's Day before. Maybe he had been hoping for something different this time, since it was a year of changes…

And speaking of changes, where had Sora gone? His partner was probably the only person whom he could tolerate on his day, and she had to disappear somewhere? If her friends weren't seeing someone, he would've guessed that they would've dragged her along with them to…to wherever the singles went, but he had heard that Anna was seeing the assistant-animal-tamer, and that there were sparks flying between Mia and one of Ken's friends, so…well, on the other hand, women DID like to play hard to get. Leon grabbed the videos and headed to the operator's rooms, where he would leave them with a note to Ken to see if he could do anything with them…

And speaking of that boy, was he with the rest of the lot, pestering Sora? Leon's pace slowed somehow, but didn't falter. Even if he was with Sora and her friends right now, the chances that he would have to guts to confess to her were just about as big as May turning into a genteel, sweet and feeling lady.

It was a cruel way of thinking, he knew, but…But what? It was the truth? Sora was an open person, but that didn't mean that he could read her easily. For all he knew, she probably loved Ken, but didn't feel confident enough to confess to him. It didn't seem very probable, because she would've noticed long ago that he liked her as well, but he'd seen worse.

To his surprise, the operator's room was unlocked and some of the screens were working. However, as soon as he saw the figure sleeping on the controls, he figured it out. Leaving the videos on the desk, he walked over and nudged the boy until he woke up.

Ken stretched slowly, working off the kinks in his neck. Then he looked up at the other occupant of the room and leapt three feet in the air.

"Leon-san! What are you doing here?!" his eyes gained the size of dinner plates as he turned around in a desperate attempt to figure out what had happened "What time is it?!"

"Ten thirty AM." Leon replied courtly, enjoying the look of horror on the boy's face.

"Ten thirty?! And today is…the fourteenth!" Ken erupted from his chair and made a wild dash for the door, only to trip over some cables and slam head first into the wall. "I'm late."

"Yes, you are." Leon pulled him by the collar and sat him on a chair "I would've told you so, but you beat me to it."

"What did you beat him to, Ken?" a voice rang from the hallway and both turned to see Yuri Killian walk through the door, coat in hand, sunglasses perched on his head "I'd like to hear how you finally managed to beat the almighty Leon Oswald."

"I stayed up all night making plans for Sora and me, and now I ended up sleeping in…" Ken mumbled miserably, looking down at his feet.

"Well, I'm sure you can catch up on her." Yuri laughed "Come to think about it, shouldn't you guys be practicing right now, Leon? Kalos wants to put up Midsummer Night's dream on the 24th and you don't even have a routine set up."

"We would, if he hadn't given the whole cast the day off." Leon grumbled, carefully hiding his smirk. Obviously, there was another person who forgot what day it was.

"And I can't catch up on her, she's in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!"

You could hear a pin drop. Yuri stared at his colleagues, incredulous, as the information was slowly processed in his brain. Let's see, a day off in the middle of the winter season, plus a trip to the Pacific Ocean, plus a surprisingly empty building, plus a miserable Ken adds up to….Oh, shit.

"Please, don't tell me it's Valentine's Day…" the blond winced.

"So why hasn't Layla killed you yet, I wonder." Leon smirked.

Ken, apparently had the answer to that question.

Last evening, Layla had called to tell Sora that she was going on a day's vacation on the Pacific and she was taking along everyone who came. Since only the ones still single didn't have any plans for it, the trip had turned into one big cruise for loners.

"And I was going to take Sora on a real date." Ken whimpered "How could've I slept in like that!"

"I highly doubt that Layla could arrange for a trip on Valentine's Day in less than eight hours." Leon said calmly "She'd go through a lot of trouble on the airport, at least."

"No. If Layla decided it, then they're already there." Yuri sighed, as he beat his head on the wall.

* * *

The day passed differently for both sides. Layla, Sora, May, Anna and Mia decided to take a long walk through the shopping district before sitting down to eat in a small restaurant by the seaside. Yuri and Ken, having nothing to do, came to help Leon clean his room up. Not exactly what you'd call an equally well spent day.

"Alright, I have a hard one for you!" May yelled as they were heading towards the airport "Who's the best hunk in Kaleido stage?!"

"Oh, come on, May!" Anna exclaimed "You know it's Leon! Tell her it's Leon, Mia!"

"Urgh…" the girl sighed "I'm not sure, Anna. I like Aaron-kun better, he's nice."

"Being nice doesn't make him the best hunk." Her friend waved her finger accusingly at her "I like my little lion-tamer, and still I think Leon is a hunk. Right, Layla-san?"

"I wouldn't know." The latter said "I could say that Leon-san is attractive, but on the other hand, I don't lie. Especially since I'm in a relationship with another man, a man I find extremely handsome."

"Yeah, but still…when it comes to the hunk factor, Leon wins hands down."

How much they all changed, the blond thought. A few years back, they wouldn't have dared talk back to her, let alone address her in such a friendly manner. Thanks to Sora, that had changed…and she really liked that.

And since they were on the subject…Layla turned around to look at the young Kaleido Star. She was walking a few paces behind them, staring out at the sea, a pensive frown on her face. "Sora…" she called. The girl's head snapped up as she looked at her, blinking owlishly. "Are you alright? You haven't said a word."

"Oh…yes…I'm fine, Layla-san." Sora beamed "I was just…deep in thought."

"We couldn't have waited for Ken." Her friend consoled her "And you can bring him gifts."

"Yeah but…I was just wondering…he's all alone there. I hope he'll be fine."

* * *

In cape Mary, a few pounds of pink paper were carefully shred in confetti, and a dozen or so tapes were thoroughly erased. The floor was finally clean and Leon surprised everyone with a suggestion for them to have a drink together.

Since going to a bar was out of the question, due to a threat of getting stampeded by a herd of lovesick women, the three settled around Leon's kitchen table to enjoy some whiskey. Yuri brought up the question whether it was a good idea to start off this early, but their 'host' merely asked him if he wanted to face Layla's wrath sober or not.

As it turned out, getting drunk wasn't the first thing that happened. Leon had bought a glass of fine alcohol, which was to be savored carefully, without haste. Ken, of course, fell under the table pretty much after his first sip, but Leon and Yuri stood their ground as they drank in thoughtful silence.

"I can't believe I forgot it was Valentine's day." The blond sighed "I knew something was wrong last night, but I was too tired to dig into it."

"You shouldn't be such a chicken about it." Leon rolled his eyes "What's the worst she could to? Go on the rampage for a while?"

"No. Too messy. When she's mad at someone, she does it with class." Didn't he just know it?! She was SO good at silent treatment.

"Well, I think you ought to apologize immediately." Ken called from somewhere under the table. Both men stared at it curiously, before going back to their own drinks.

"You know, Leon…" Yuri said after a pause "I think you should've been more careful with his drink. He's got a condition, after all."

"He's fine. I put more water in his glass than alcohol." Came the detached reply.

* * *

"Ok, but you guys can't deny that Leon is hot." May persisted. Mia and Anna took a seat next to her on a bench and watched their colleague pace around, waxing eloquent about her former partner's qualities. They weren't really that much interested in what she wanted to say, but Layla and Sora had fallen behind and it wouldn't be a good idea to lose sight of them.

Despite the cold season, it was a beautiful, sunny day in the North Pacific. The island Layla had taken them was literally an epitome of a Paradise on earth. A village still untouched by the construction madness, clean air, great food and a beach that went on forever…The only thing that ruined the perfect day was their own lousy love lives.

"Dear God, you're still at men?" Layla asked as she and Sora finally caught up with them

"No, May is still on Leon." Mia shook her head, before turning towards her colleague "You know, there are other men out there."

"Yeah, but Leon is the only one who could qualify as 'cool', from everyone else."

Shaking her head, Layla couldn't help but agree. Yuri was smart, handsome, ambitious and rich enough not to chase after her for her money…and that mostly summed it up. The guy was too much of a coward for her taste, although she couldn't deny that he could be adventurous, provided she made him believe it was his idea.

"Well, I think cool doesn't suit him." Sora spoke up, startling for a second her friends. They really had seldom heard her voice today, May marveled, before pressing her to explain. "I mean…He's handsome and all, but I also think he's very kind. If only he would open up more…"

"I suppose all the men have faults." Mia said, while trying to figure out what got Sora in such a wistful mode.

Everyone around her nodded compassionately, even May. It was so hard to find the right guy sometimes…

Just then, Mia looked up and exclaimed.

"Hey, guys, what's that! I don't remember seeing this before." Slowly, four heads turned around to see what she was pointing out. Little did they know they were looking at something that would change their lives forever.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ken had managed to scramble on a chair and he was getting more and more coherent. Leon and Yuri had exhausted the subject of raving girlfriends (the list had been strangely short), and were now contemplating the walls in silence.

"Say, Leon-kun…" Ken managed "You didn't talk much about your girlfriend. Is she that scary when she's mad at you?"

"I don't have a girlfriend."

"A court reply…" Yuri commented slyly "Could it be you don't wish to speak of it? Or perhaps she is too gorgeous for us to handle?"

"It's neither. I simply have no girlfriend to speak of." Leon said, ignoring the looks the other two were giving him.

"How strange." Yuri smiled "Given your amazing good looks, one would think you have at least two."

"Unlike you, Killian, I don't need to get ridiculous just for an ego boost. And even if I had a girlfriend, you would be the last person I would discuss her with."

"You sure have respect for women." Ken gave in and slurred "Hey, Leon, are you perhaps gay?"

Deadly silence.

"He's drunk." Leon said, finishing his glass in one gulp.

"Absolutely." Yuri followed his example. "But still, you can't blame him. All the evidence points towards this. You're young, you're good-looking, and you have the opportunity. It's either this, or you're afraid of love.'

"Who would've thought…" Ken mumbled "The high and mighty Leon Oswald is actually a hopeless romantic who's looking for the right girl."

Leon glared at him. "I'd watch my tongue if I were you. You're not that drunk."

Yuri sighed as he watched his younger companion literally shrink to the size of a teardrop, before turning towards Leon. "But it is true, isn't it? There are so many pretty girls around you, it's pretty suspicious you haven't hooked up with one of them."

"Just because I'm good looking doesn't mean I have a low dating standard." The silver-haired man snapped "All women want is handsome, rich and famous. After a while, it becomes bothersome. And if it drags me down, I'm better off without it. I simply have no desire for a girlfriend at present."

"That is what I'd call a romantic notion." Yuri ignored the daggers Leon glared at him and continued "Ok, let's play along. Even if you've no desire for a girlfriend, what kind of girl would change that? You have some standards, don't you?"

The Frenchman frowned, as if the conversation had suddenly turned into something extremely annoying. Ken and Yuri weren't the type of guys he'd imagine as his buddies, even in his wildest dreams, let alone discuss something like that with them. However…they were drinking together, so…just to play along…

"The normal kind." He answered courtly. But why, at the thought of normal, did he suddenly have a vision with warm brown eyes and strikingly pink hair?

Suddenly, he remembered when he had seen Yuri and Sora perform the Angel's Act on the Circus Festival. It hadn't been the great performance it was supposed to be, but…she had looked beautiful. Hair in disarray, face wet with tears, eyes darkened and shiny, body…he stopped at the eyes. What had he felt back then? Disapproval? Condescension? He was definitely angry, that the man who practically killed his sister was now using her act to win. He was sad, because they hadn't done it. And…he had given Sora the credit she deserved-she had taken it farther than he had ever been able to get it.

Had this been the first time he grew to appreciate her, Leon wondered. Afterwards, he had seen Sophie whenever Sora went, and he hadn't had a doubt that she was the one to be his partner. After all the fights she and May went through to show him who deserved to compete with him…Perhaps they had seen it wrong all the time. Perhaps it hadn't been up to HIM to decide who his partner would be-it had been up to SORA to choose him as her partner.

"Normal covers just about everything." Yuri argued.

"There are plenty of normal girls in Kaleido stage. Why don't you prove us you're not gay and go out on a date with someone. And I mean like a real, serious date. Not a one night stand."

Leon shot the boy a glance. "You're really not the one to talk. If we have to be certain, it would be much easier for you to find a date than myself, and yet you're single."

"Then I'll find a date as well. I'll start a real relationship. I'll get over my fears and ask the girl of my dreams out!" Ken proclaimed, bolting up. However, that proved a little too much for him, as he fell right back on his chair with a groan.

"Don't mind him." Yuri shook his head "If this is how you feel, you should just wait for that right girl to appear."

"Afraid of a little competition, Killian?" Leon grinned

"No, just…careful."

"You guys picked on me all day because I don't have a girlfriend. Come to think of it, maybe Ken here has a point. Since all three of us are three feet under when it comes to relationships, maybe we should use this Valentine's day failure to fix things."

"Yeah? So what is the goal?" Yuri asked

"Getting girlfriends." Ken clarified "And go on a date with them by the end of the week."

"And there aren't any 'off limits' in this challenge." Leon said, intercepting Yuri's upcoming comment "You lost the good graces of your current girlfriend, Killian, it's only fair to let others try their luck. If she really likes you, you have nothing to worry about."

* * *

A/N-So share your thoughts. Did you like it? Should I continue?


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

With that said, there was nothing more to discuss, and the three men slipped back into their own little worlds, thinking about how to work with the plan they had so recklessly concocted. Yuri wasn't sure whether Layla would be pleased or disgusted when she heard of their little bet, but either way would be bad for him. She definitely didn't like people to treat her like an inanimate object. He looked at Leon carefully. Why did he say that there were no "off-limits" during the week? Could it be that he planned on going after Layla? Yuri knew for sure that his girlfriend (currently under question) had very high standards, but the Frenchman stood firmly next to her on that point. He had been terribly picky about his partner on stage-it was very likely that he would be twice as much about his partner in life.

And Layla was nothing, if not the very best. Gods, he really shouldn't have forgotten about this Valentine's day! Now she was probably going to get back at him by hooking up with Leon, who just waited for an opportunity to destroy him. The only thing left for him was to try and beat him to it.

Meanwhile, Leon's thoughts were as far from Layla as they had ever been. No, the more important problem for him was that he only had seven days to find a 'real' girlfriend, which meant extra hard work. A week wasn't enough for something like that. Maybe bed someone, but not decide whether she was good enough to be his girlfriend. Going over the possible date choices he had, Leon's pride was the only thing that stopped him from shoving his face into his hands and groaning in exasperation.

Picking out a girlfriend amongst Layla's groupies was a lost cause. Sure, they would worship the ground he walked on, but having a decent conversation with one was like looking for water into the desert-not highly improbable, but it came down to mirages. Mia and Anna, the only ones with some sense in the lot could do, if they weren't taken, and Leon knew better than to piss off the guy who worked the trapeze he hung on. Cathy had promised to come down this week, but since she was more interested in Layla than in him, any attempt to win her over wouldn't go further than a handshake.

Maybe he could try dating on the net…if anything, talking was much easier. But he knew that the week would lapse too quickly for his liking, and he was pressed by time. So looking for the perfect woman out of Kaleido Stage was impossible.

In moments such as these, people normally re-evaluated their previous actions and came to the conclusion that, had their behavior in the past not been so bad, their lives might've been easier. Leon, being Leon, simply snorted at the idea of making amends for any past mistakes he might have done. He didn't like fakes, and he didn't want to be a fake. He couldn't divide himself and give women the better half. Maybe, just maybe, he had been a hypocrite by working his previous partners so mercilessly, but whatever challenge he had put them through hadn't been unachievable. Sora was the living proof of that.

Talking about her…he looked at Ken, who was swaying dangerously from his seat.

"I think we should put him to bed, no?" he asked his colleague. Yuri nodded in silent acknowledgement.

* * *

"Say, Leon…" Yuri began when they made Ken drink some water and lie down "Do you think we should've included him in the challenge as well? He's pretty much living in Peter Pan's world as it is. Girlfriends seem a far cry from what he's used to."

"Nobody's holding a gun to his head. He can back out whenever he wants. Besides…he'll have to get out of his pajamas sooner or later. We're giving him an excuse to do what he wants to do."

"Yeah, but…there are some very, ahem, effective ways to make a woman fall in love with you. I'm not sure that he's capable of using them yet."

"The less lust is involved the better, if you ask me. It only makes up for a bigger mess afterwards. He'll do better without any tricks."

"Yeah, but…Sora's too good to turn him down."

"Then both will have to learn. I don't see what's wrong, Killian, it's not like you're the inexperienced one."

"Still...Is it true? What Ken said." Adversaries in love or not, Yuri was, probably like everyone in Cape Mary, wondering why on Earth did a guy like Leon stay single, when women practically threw themselves at his feet.

"I believe I already told you." was the court answer

Yuri took the hint and lapsed into silence. Well, he just felt sorry for the boy. It wasn't his fault that all human emotion was absolutely alien to Leon. Shaking his head, the blond decided that it was time to go back and devise plans before his rival suddenly discovered a more…human side of himself. Taking his leave, he drank a glass of water before calling a cab for himself. He couldn't risk getting stopped by traffic police, after all.

* * *

As the car disappeared from sight, Ken slowly started to experience the more unpleasant consequences of drinking. As a result, Leon had his hands full for a while, helping him to the sink and giving him meds. The work…wasn't very pleasing, but at least he had something to distract him.

Because lately, whether it was the strange atmosphere after the Angel's Act or the simple pleasures of holidays, Leon found himself thinking more and more often about Sora. And naturally, even since the question came up, he'd been under the threat of starting it again. When Ken finally returned to the land of the living, or in his case, the sleeping, he was no longer occupied. There. Leon settled to washing dishes, but it wasn't too long before the annoying thoughts started again.

There really were no words to describe her when she performed. She was like a firefly, dancing in a dark meadow; a bird of paradise, singing under the sun; or simply an angel, sharing her dream with the rest of the world. It was easy to get carried away, especially when you were her partner on her magical stages. Was he really just smitten? Or perhaps there was more?

Sora herself was a fairly complicated person. She wasn't the one to be…defined into a category. A woman-child, innocent but firm; a human in her frailty, a creature from another world in her mind; a duckling and a swan at the same time…It was strange that his partner, the only person he let into his heart after Sophie had died, was the person he could least understand in the whole world, even after so much time. He could lift her over his head effortlessly, but she was always…a mystery.

Perhaps that was why they managed to get along. All his previous partners had been too presumptuous, too…fake. They drowned in luxury and make up and got too excited way too quickly. He'd learned to spare his praise and raise the hoop. Many of them couldn't keep up with him and ended up bitter about everything, sometimes hurt…But there was no way around it. After all, it was their fault they couldn't keep their feet on the ground.

Thoughts about relationships didn't even pass Sora's head. She wanted the stage, nothing more. Now that she had it, perhaps she could change her mind, but…somehow, the idea seemed wrong. He just couldn't picture her…with a guy. Which, on one hand was a little selfish, and downright creepy on the other, because he had no reason to.

* * *

The next day it rained. There was a cold wind blowing off the sea, and it felt as if the whole world had come to an end. However, with all the work everyone had, going out was the last thing on their minds. Their next production, "Midsummer Night's Dream" was scheduled for the end of the month, and, while everything was quickly put together, the roles were still undivided.

Unfortunately, that was the problem with plays where there's more than one leading part. May was going to be Titania, and Rosetta greed, reluctantly as it is, to play Oberon, and that was as far as the easy part went. Mia still couldn't decide whether Sora was to be Hermia and Layla-Helena, or vice-versa. Both parts seemed to fit well, and it didn't help much that Layla refused to speak to Yuri, courtesy to his Valentine's Day mishap. With the relationship between the partners tensing up, Mia found herself in a mess with biblical proportions.

When Cathy arrived, the young director was nearly tearing her hair off, but thankfully, the cheerful woman brought some hope into things.

"Alright, everyone, let's take a look at the play." She announced, seating herself on a chair and pulling the script out, the actors gathering around her in a hemisphere "Lysander and Hermia are in love, but Hermia's father wants her to marry the rich Demetrius, who's in love with Hermia. Hermia's friend Helena is in love with Demetrius, but he refuses to look at her. Hermia and Lysander agree to elope, Helena learns about their plan and tells Demeter in an attempt to win his affections. He, however, goes after the lovers. The night falls over them as the four are in an enchanted forest. It turns out that Oberon, the king of fairies, is currently in an argument with his wife Titania over a slave-boy, and the king tells one of his servants to give his queen something that will make her fall in love with the ugliest thing in the forest, thus Titania falls in love with a donkey…Meanwhile, the servant witnesses the couples in the forest, and, realizing the dilemma, decides to give the love potion to Demeter so that he will fall in love with Helena. Unfortunately, things get mixed up, and Lysander and Demetrius both fall in love with Helena, much to the confusion and hurt to both the girls. Hermia runs after the men in an attempt to win back Lysander, but he's unreachable. Oberon learns about the mishap, scolds the servant and fixes things, meanwhile undoing the spell on his wife and settling the argument. In the end, Lysander is with Hermia, Demetrius is with Helena, and they live happily ever after, etc, ect…."

Cathy tsked. "Totally crazy, very much like Shakespeare. So…I see you left out the play from the original script, Mia…We have a Titania, we have and Oberon, the servant will be…"

"Marion, I believe, is ready for a role." Mia prompted.

"So all we have to do is pick the Hermia and the Helena. Well…Helena is more spiteful, more vengeful…I don't think Sora will deal with that."

"Yeah, but Hermia is told to be a striking beauty, and Layla-san is…" with that, the original argument started, this time being voiced, much to Sora's embarrassment.

The strawberry haired girl turned towards her partner, who was currently warming up behind her. "Leon-san, aren't you worried about this?"

"The idea is fairly simple-first act, Hermia and Lysander run, Demeter follows, Helena drags back. Second act, Helena suns, Lysander and Demetrius follow, Hermia drags back. Some fights here and there, in the end we perform simultaneously. We pretty much do the same, so it doesn't really matter which role is which." He replied mercilessly "We should practice, instead of worrying over petty things like roles."

Reluctantly, Sora agreed. In the end, the matter was solved through the male partners-Leon was darker, so he was going to be Demetrius, and with that, Sora became Helena. With that settled, Cathy sat down to see how far they had gone with their acts.

* * *

They had managed to put together some things. Most of the acts, as Leon had said, were mirror images of each other, with lots of chasing around the forest. The casting of the spell on the reluctant lovers was to be done on the trampolines, as it showed Marion in her best, and then it came around to dancing on a high string, catching up, running away, pushing back, etc. There wasn't supposed to be a real fight, just a few scratches delivered here and there with training foils. The ending scene was the only one where the trapezes would be used, but it was made clear that it would have to be rich.

Cathy watched them train for a while, listened to Mia's explanations about the set and how the scenes would look when they were put together, a small crease forming on her forehead. When the practice was over, the two directors had compared notes on what they had seen from other productions and they had exchanged opinions. Before an actual play was put together, Cathy couldn't tell the actors whether they slipped well into caharacter or not, and she told them this. Such remarks were, thus, reserved for the end of the week, when, hopefully, they would be ready.

"But, Sora, I need to warn you…." The director began "Helena is a very expressive character. She is a scorned woman, she feels abandoned by her friend and thinks that the positions aren't very fair, because she isn't as pretty as Hermia. On top of all, her beloved is in love with a her friend, and refuses to see the truth. In the end, the men suddenly experience a change of heart and she takes it as an insult. You need to show all that, and channel those emotions. I know it's not what you're used to, but you need to work with that."

"Don't worry, Sora." Layla smiled at her friend "If you need any help, I'm always there."

The red head nodded, smiled and thanked her mentor, when Cathy suddenly remembered: "Oh, right. Layla, Yuri, I don't know what's gotten into you, but I hope to see more intensity of emotion from you on Wednesday. People expect to see desperate lovers. Layla, think more Juliet than the Ice Queen, and Yuri…work a little on the embracing, you look like you're going to drop her any time now."

* * *

She missed lunch that day. Somehow, she just didn't have an appetite, and Cathy's remark had made her even more reluctant to go to her friends. Mia had just had a fight with her sweetheart and she was sure to wax eloquent about it at the table, and Anna would only think about possibilities of a comedy in the play. And while she usually loved listening to her friends and helping them out as much as she could, the current Kaleido Star felt something weighting on her mind like a ton of bricks.

It was painfully clear why Cathy and Mia had been reluctant to make her Helena. Sora was beautiful on stage, but she was also a sweet, caring person. She'd never shown spite, or anger, or vengefulness, or any other negative emotion safe for the competitiveness with May at one point. The intensity of emotions the role required was thus a far cry from her usual image, but Sora was determined to make it work. It would be too easy to be Hermia…

But…

Sora approached the mirrored walls of the dancing studio and looked at herself carefully. Reluctantly, she had to agree that it would be easier to be ugly and heartbroken than…err…Hermia.

No, she had to be frank. She wasn't beautiful. Her features couldn't even pass as pretty on a good day. She woke up looking like a scarecrow, with a hairdo to match, and remained pretty much the same throughout the day. Edgy face, regular brown eyes, hair with the color of cotton candy…very unusual, but the combination wasn't very spectacular.

Up to that day, it hadn't bothered her either. She shone on stage and that was all that mattered. But now…she looked like an old doll. Indifferent to other emotions than joy and…not very attractive either. Maybe Leon was rubbing off her after all. He was pretty much the same, safe for the joy.

_Well, this obviously has to change, doesn't it?_ she thought fiercely, putting her hands on her hips and nodding to her reflection. Alright, here comes the heartbroken Sora.

…

Here she comes…

…

Here she comes…

…

Sora groaned and hit her head with her palm. Nothing! Absolutely nothing. This was a total mess.

She gathered herself up and tried to focus. She couldn't let this bring her down. Emotions, emotions…She tried to think of the saddest moment in her life and, slowly, one by one, the tears started to come.

* * *

Leon paused at the threshold of the dance studio. Had he just heard a sob coming from there? Cracking the door open, he was surprised to find Sora sitting on the ground, crying silently in front of the mirrors.

What was this? Cheerful, happy Sora crying? His mind worked full time to come up with an explanation to this extraordinary phenomenon and…came up with nothing. The only time he had seen her cry was in the middle of the first Angel's Act she had performed, and the reasons couldn't be the same. Perhaps…Ken had approached her and she couldn't find it in her heart to deceive him.

Ok, maybe it was a little presumptuous. After all, she had never shown any signs that she didn't like the boy, but she had the same chances of sharing Cathy's preferences. But by the looks of things, she didn't return his feelings, and was unhappy. Feeling sorry for not returning somebody's feelings sounded a lot more like her, indeed.

Now…should he go there and offer her some moral support or get lost. _Since when have you been good moral support_, his reason told him. _Good point._ He was about to leave, when he heard her mutter.

"Oh, no, too much…too much tears." She tried to wipe them away hastily "Ok, too sad. More happy memories, less tears, otherwise I won't be able to see the trapeze." Sora sighed and scrambled to her feet, trying to stop the tears, and caught Leon's reflection in the mirror.

She yelped, jumped three feet into the air and fell back on the floor. "Le…Leon-san! You scared me!"

"So I can see." He noted, walking towards her and giving her a hand up "Are you alright? I heard…sobs."

"Err…Yeah…I was trying to get into the role and…" she shook her head "I overdid it."

"Apparently." Leon said, eyeing her carefully

"Am I a mess?" Sora asked, hands flying automatically to her face

"Your eyes are red." He acknowledged "But nothing serious."

"I see." She smiled, and immediately he was taken aback. Was that grin of hers blinding at close range? He had to look into that. "Leon-san?"

"You should wash your face." He finally said.

"Y…yes. Alright." She nodded, before slowly walking out of the studio.

Leon blinked a few times in an attempt to regain his composure. Well…he would have to be more careful around her from now on, he thought with a slight smile on his face. Little did she know that she was so dangerous. Somebody had to teach her to use that smile of hers less frequently, but….nah, he wasn't the man for the job. It was her life, after all. She'd find a guy who'd help her out…

Just then, he noticed something glimmering on the floor. Puzzled, the silver-haired man bent down to pick it up, and at the same time Sora flew back into the studio.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Both froze, he kneeling on the ground, she in mid-pace, and stared at each other. Her mouth was slightly ajar, and by the mortified blush quickly spilling on her cheeks, Leon guessed that she had come back to retrieve whatever he had found. Getting up on his feet, the young man fixed curiously the small item. It looked like an old-fashioned locket on a bright, colorful string made out of cloth.

She broke the silence first. "Ah, you've found it, Leon-san. I've…I've been looking all over for that."

"What is this?" he said, turning the things around in his hands curiously. He'd never seen Sora wear any jewelry, (it wasn't a good idea if you spent half the day turning and jumping around), and this adornment was really, really strange.

"Well…it's a locket, of course. What else…he, he…can it be?" she smiled weekly, this time peaking his interest. Really, what else can it be? "Can I…can I have it back?"

"No." he replied calmly

"Oh, thank you, I…wait…" she blinked owlishly, uncomprehending "What did you say?"

"I said: No. As in no, you cannot have it back." Leon explained, enjoying the swift changes of color she experienced. He'd never seen anyone go from blushing to blanching in such a short time. Cute, in a way.

"But…but…" she struggled to find a response, clearly unused to such a violation of personal property "It's mine."

"I found it." something in him protested against such juvenile reasoning, but he affectedly ignored it. "It doesn't look like something you'd wear."

"Well, it's mine." Slightly annoyed, Sora couldn't comprehend what could the guy possibly want with one of her things. Especially something like that.

"When did you buy it?"

"What makes you think I bought it?"

"I've never seen you wear it."

"Well I might have been saving it."

"If you valued it, you would've gotten it a better chain."

"Oh, fine, I bought it yesterday."

"Did you save your receipt?"

"No!" walking towards him with the full intention of retrieving her property herself, Sora was beginning to slowly boil over "Leon-san, please, stop joking. Give me back my locket."

"If you don't have a receipt, you can't prove it's yours." he made a step back with every step she made forth. "Therefore, it is mine because I found it."

"Oh, come on!" Reacting in a very un-Sora-like manned, the young star leaped towards him and grabbed onto his hand in an attempt to grab the adornment. Leon, reacting on impulse, squeezed his fingers around it and lifted his hand up. With a yelp, Sora held tighter on his biceps, lest she fell, and hung suspended from him for a few seconds like a very peculiar pink monkey.

Just as she was torn between blushing and screaming, Sora noticed that his body began to shake and a few moments later a strange, melodic sound filled the air. Looking around for the source of this, she was surprised, startled and shocked to behold one of the rarest views of the century. Her eyes widened considerably and it took all her efforts not to let go, as her partner, Leon Oswald, the proudest and coolest man in Cape Mary…laughed.

The sight was, indeed, a stunning one. At times, when she felt especially cruel, Sora thought that if he laughed, the result would be strange, since the corresponding vocal cords had probably never been used. To his credit, he was obviously not mocking her, and she could see how her chimp-like behavior could trigger such a reaction. However, with her being the suspended one, she couldn't find the strength to laugh…

Which wasn't that bad, the red-head decided after a while. He had an amazing voice-rich, deep, manly…the kind of voice you could listen to all day. And the way he laughed…it sent shivers up her spine.

Another good reason for him not to have the locket anymore, she decided. Taking advantage of his distraction, she tried to wring it from him, only to have it thrown into his other hand.

"This isn't fair!" she exclaimed, dropping on her legs and sending him on a chase around the room "Give it back!"

Leon didn't answer that, so she continued chasing him in the hopes of wearing him down. The idea soon proved wrong, especially since to match one of his long strides she usually had to make three, and when he ran…well, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was the one chasing her after a few laps.

Sora tried to look at him, startled to see that he was actually smirking. Of all the insolent, selfish, self-important…That man knew no shame! Definitely annoyed, she wondered whether she should stop and ran straight at him or get out of the room in hopes of finding some of her dignity.

Fortunately or unfortunately, she had no time to do either. Too busy staring at him, she forgot to make a turn and noticed too late the glassed wall that was coming towards her in a threatening speed. Sora just had enough time to raise her hands to protect her face to prepare for the impact….But no pain came. Instead, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her, throwing all the air out of her lungs and throwing her into a side roll.

The young woman blinked owlishly, brought her hands down and found herself seated into Leon's lap, his arms wrapped around her as he sat, cross-legged on the ground. The situation was pretty much like a parody of a little girl, engrossed in play with her favorite doll. They even had the expressions to match.

He snickered when Sora made another feeble attempt to retrieve her property, holding it high in the air while his other arm remained around her waist. "Leon-san, enough games! Someone might get hurt." She could've ended up all cut up and bandaged for a month if she went on like this! Did he understand that? Or perhaps everything was a game for him?

"You should get a look at yourself." Leon replied calmly, cupping her chin and turning her towards the mirrors. "This is you, angry. Remember it."

Sora gaped at herself, incredulously. The wrinkles on her forehead disappeared, the angrily twisted lips turned into a surprised "O", and her eyes softened, but she had seen the mask that Helena needed. The angry Sora. One of the many she had tried to bring up. Leon-san did work miracles, she thought as her features effortlessly slipped back into a grimace of annoyance, and then at anger when the thoughts came back to her. Not exactly what she'd been looking for, but she could add more depth, now that she knew from where to start, she thought with satisfaction.

Leon let go of her and both got on their feet. "I believe I helped you with the part, so I'll just keep this as a token of thanks."

"Yeah…Hey, wait a minute!" she exclaimed, chasing after him as he left the studio.

* * *

"Layla-san…" May began, after her idol had (once again) informed Yuri via a death glare not to come near the table. "I understand that your partner is a stupid ass for forgetting Valentine's Day, but don't you think he's had enough by now?"

"No." the heiress replied calmly, taking a bite from her crêpe. "I prefer not to waste my time with unserious people."

"He looked pretty serious when he tried bursting in the women's locker room after practice." The Chinese acrobat noted, recalling the other attempts the blond had made to "make peace" with his girlfriend throughout the day. Roses in the dressing room, Valentine's day cards and petals covering every flat surface of her locker, not to mention that a guy had walked in the middle of practice to sing "Surrender" by Celine Dion to her. Layla had chased him out on the second verse, not without reddening with annoyance.

"If he wasn't such a coward, he would've talked to me directly about it, not done something as unsightly as this." The former stated. May nodded in compassion-it wasn't like the guy had been a bad singer, but Celine Dion wasn't every girl's dream of romance anymore, safe for that scene on the deck of the Titanic.

Of course, to be frank, May could've told her that she would've been happy to get as much as a bouquet of daisies, with the way things were in her love life. Men didn't even bother listening to her, if you didn't count her brothers, and even if there were some attracted by her good looks they seemed to run away from her as if she was a plague as soon as she opened her mouth. Really, what was wrong with her? She was hot, she had a steady job, she didn't go off screaming "Marry me!" at people. Maybe she had a little anger issue, but what were a few holes in the wall to friends.

The young woman found it extremely frustrating that girls like Sora (no offence to her friend, but that was the truth), who couldn't care less about relationships, always had a few guys who would run to her with a wedding permission in one hand and a ring in the other as soon as she snapped her fingers. Even now, May could see Ken planning another confession of love to her red-headed colleague, and when the said colleague entered the mess hall, the boy got on his legs and made a beeline towards her.

Bracing herself on her palm, May watched with bemusement as Ken planted himself next to Sora, greeted her for the umpteenth time this day, said the usual pleasantries, tried to give her a hint that perhaps, maybe, in some way, there is someone very close to her who cares very deeply for her. Sora, on the other hand, seemed pretty much into her own world-her brow had that crease she got whenever she was deep in thought. May stood pretty far away, but she practically heard the dialogue. Ken said something, shat up and waited, hopeful. Sora noticed the silence, wondered for the reason of its absence, and finally registered the presence of the boy. She beamed, said "Hi" and asked him if the cheese sandwiches were good today. Ken, shot down once more, nodded miserably and said that they were good.

Groaning with exasperation, the Chinese woman wondered absent-mindedly if she should drag Ken out and give him a serious lecture on "Girls, relationships, and how not to commence one". If he continued like this, it was very likely that he might end up as a threat for public safety with those lame comments of his. Really, who began a conversation with "How do you like the weather?" nowadays? Come to think of it, he'd been repeating that sentence a lot today, too. Had he suddenly gotten a heavenly inspiration or found out that he was terminally ill and hurried to finish his death list? Neither sounded very probable, but he was trying hard.

Maybe he wanted to make up for the Valentine's Day sleeping in, she decided, making a mental note to look into that later on.

* * *

The rest of the day passed as uneventfully as it was supposed to be. Yuri made a few more attempts to pacify Layla, but the Hamilton Heiress' anger was something no mortal man could tame with a few roses and a card. She was positively on the rampage.

Sora, on the other hand, felt strangely unhappy ever since lunch. The reason, of course, was Leon Oswald, that impossible, pig-headed, _stupid_ man, who, with no consideration of her privacy, her personal rights, the principles of Magna Charta and probably a few laws, refused to acknowledge her property and kept her locket. And while she wasn't the person to make a big deal out of something like that, the thing into the locket was something entirely hers and she wanted it back. The thought that he might look into it and find it made her drop into a silent hysteria.

And the fact that Ken had been breathing in her neck nearly all day long didn't help liven her mood, not even a iota. Actually, Leon's strange behavior had made the starlet notice her friend's strange behavior, but, unlike the bigger part of the cast, hadn't figured out why. With thoughts of Leon drilling in her mind, Sora found it extremely hard to evaluate Ken's behavior, so she didn't do it, but as the hours flew by, began to grow more and more weary with his constant attempts to win her attention.

When she finally couldn't take it anymore, she stopped abruptly and, with the idea that everything could wait until her secret was safe with her, Sora said:

"Please, Ken-san, can we leave this for another time. I'm really not in a mood to talk about anything right now."

"But…it's important…"

"I know, I know, everything's dire right now, but I really don't have the strength to deal with it today. Please, some other time." She begged, before wishing him goodnight and shutting herself in her room.

"I see…" the boy said meekly "No strength…you really don't want to know what's this about, don't you?"

"Obviously, she doesn't." May said behind him, making him start "Jeez, Ken, seeing you like this makes me think you've turned into a masochist overnight."

"Wha…how long have you been there, May-san?"

"Forever. This is my room, remember?" she rolled her eyes "Care to tell me what you're doing in the girl's dorm at a time like this?"

"It's really none of your business, May-san."

"Oh yeah?" dark eyebrows winged up "You've been dragging around Sora all day, tried to profess your love to her a billion times, failed, and only got her angry, and you think it's none of my business? It's everybody's business. So…what's cooking?"

"Cooking isn't your…"

"Whatever! What is going on here? Did you take something yesterday?"

"May-san, I wish you would just leave me alone."

"Oh, come on! Just spill it out?"

"May-san!"

"Oh, fine, if that's the way you want it." the young woman said, grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to her room. "Now, will you tell me?"

"May-san, this is not…"

"For the love of it, Ken, you expect me to watch this fiasco all day and not look into it? You better start talking, mister, because I won't let you go before I hear what the big deal is all about."

Ken swallowed dryly. He could be a man about it and keep quiet, but…May was considerably stronger than him, and he didn't exactly like the prospect of being kept prisoner by May's ranting and her collection of teddy giraffes. So he said it.

"Wellyouseeyesterdaymeyuriandleongotdrunkandwemadethisbetthingytogetgirlfriendsbytheendoftheweeksoidecidedtoasksorabutshesnotinthemoodalldayandiednedupinyourclutcheshahahahahafunnystoryeh?"

May stared at him dumbly, before yelling:

"You WHAT?"

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

There was a good reason people feared May's anger.

Of course, one would think that, with May being in a bad mood nearly every waking hour, people would've gotten used to it after a few weeks. Indeed, she was the type of person to scream her head off with the slightest disturbance in her settled, personal universe, and her colleagues had long gotten accustomed to her slight quirks and infatuating (if harmless) superiority complex. Hearing her shout "Double door slam entry" no longer impressed anyone, and when she told people she would be world famous one day, they took it like a remark on the weather.

That, too, was the reason why people never really saw May angry. She was overbearing, irritating and slightly delusional, but in her heart, she was good and well-meaning. She was enthusiastic, energetic and strong; her character, though positive, held traits of melancholy, sadness, and just about enough envy that was acceptable. May had been crushed, May had been confused, but May was rarely angry, and that was why people tried to prevent her from falling into that state very carefully.

Unfortunately, Ken could do little to prevent the horrors unleashing upon him when she backed him into her room and made him spill all the details about the little bet he had struck with Leon and Yuri. Though his own memories were fuzzy, he remembered clearly the line of thought that had made him ask Leon those questions and triggered the events that led to the making of the pact. He realized, as words left his mouth in quick succession, that if anyone was to blame for the Hell on Earth May would unleash, that would be him. He was the one who couldn't keep his mouth shut…and his envy at bay.

Really, though, what else could he feel for a man like Leon-a man who was perfect in any way, and who could, on top of all, act with Sora on the same stage? Of course, the Frenchman's behavior was more than proper, actually, nothing in it suggested that he had any thoughts about hurting Sora's feelings in any way, but Ken had seen enough of Sora to know she felt something towards her partner that…wasn't entirely like the camaraderie she experienced for her colleagues…for him…Of course he wouldn't miss a chance to throw some mud at the guy, he was infatuating simply by existing!

Not that it would serve as an excuse before May-the woman looked like she would tear his head off. Strangely, however, she made him repeat everything again and again, then made him describe the expressions on everyone's faces, the atmosphere in the room and whether or not he thought Leon or Yuri was drunk, or somewhat…untrue in his pledging. When they finally lapsed into silence, she started pacing about her room like a caged animal, leaving Ken to pray she finished him off quickly. Then she turned around and glared at him: "I have to tell Lalya-san about this."

"Wha…" Ken blinked, looking like a deer in the headlights. However, when he saw May walk towards the door, he showed some impressive superior intellect by jumping after her and holding her off just as she was about to open the door.

"What the…Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" she yelled as he dragged her back into the room. For such a skinny boy, Ken was sure stronger than he appeared "Ken, let me go immediately, or I'll…"

"Please, just hear me out! I don't care what you do to me, but Yuri-san is truly sorry for forgetting Valentine's Day and wishes to make things right. If you tell Layla-san, she'll probably never forgive him."

"She'd have a good reason to! How dare he allow such a thing? Discuss her like she's a toy or something, that's absolutely unacceptable! Do you have no shame?!"

"I do, I do, and I'm sorry, just don't yell." He whined "Understand, May-san, it was I who started this. Leon-san had the right to determine the rules, but I'm sure that Yuri-san will win in the end."

"Of course he'll win, you daft boy! Leon wouldn't even bother to give him any competition! He'll be too busy stealing Sora away from you!"

Oh, god, now SHE was the one unable to keep her mouth shut. Too busy raving around about his lack of self-control, May had involuntarily hurt him. Damn, talk about following your own advice, she thought as she watched her colleague slowly acquire the expression of a puppy kicked in oncoming traffic.

"Sorry…" she mumbled, embarrassed.

"It's…ok." Ken mumbled "I guess it's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

"Not on Leon's part, but Sora seems…Oh, you mean about you…" May scratched her cheek "Well, actually, Ken, it isn't that obvious. I mean, if it was, Sora would've figured it out by now." Wrong thing to say, Wong, she chastised herself as she watched his mood damping even more. Why, oh, why did that boy have to be so damn sensitive? She had to step on eggshells around him, lest he got hurt. Damn, if this wasn't infatuating.

"I think I better go back now." He said, getting on his feet slowly "They'll be locking up the dorms soon and I better head back."

"Oh, no you don't!" May yelled and grabbed his hand "You're not going anywhere until you hear me out."

* * *

Leon carefully folded his jacket over the side of the chair before sitting down to read. If there was anything he hated more than incompetent partners, that would be wrinkles on the clothes. However, he often pulled out the locket he had retrieved from Sora that morning, examining it carefully from each possible aspect, then came to a conclusion.

It was ugly.

Not that he cared, it wasn't like he would wear it. But the old shine of the locket clashed rudely with the bright colors of the string, and the sides were dark, covered with stains. Even if it had been a pretty piece of jewelry, it hadn't been well looked after. If the original clasp hadn't broken, the chain would've probably dissolved from rust. Why would Sora by something like this was beyond him to comprehend, but he fancied that there was more to it than it seemed.

"I know what this is." A ghastly voice spoke right next to his ear, making him frown down at the medallion. A second later a small figure materialized itself on top of his wrist, grinning like a cat that overdosed on cream. "It holds the secrets of the lover's heart."

"Didn't I tell you to stop coming into my room?" Leon asked coldly, glaring daggers at Fool.

Many things had happened after Sora became the Top Star. She had been engrossed with more responsibilities, and a lot more privileges. One of the former was that after the Angel's act, a great many people had started to see Fool. Despite the fact that the girl missed the obnoxious doll sometimes, she didn't have to bother about him peeping in the showers or spying on people dressing up. The spirit of the stage bore the deprivation easily, since it meant it could tease more people.

Leon had been one of the unlucky winners.

"Come now, don't you want to know what's in this locket?"

"No."

"Liar. Why did you take it from Sora then?"

"I found it."

"Does it have something to do with that little bet you struck with Yuri and Ken?"

Leon glared at him coldly, his equivalent of "How did you know that?" Fool smirked.

"I know everything! After all, I am the Spirit of the Stage."

"I told you that unless the dorms were burning to the ground you couldn't come here."

Fool pulled a mock pout, before jumping from Leon's arm to lay suspended a little out of his reach. "Your attitude is no good! I wonder how you came to see me in the first place?"

"The fact that I can see you doesn't necessarily have to mean that I want to see you. You are infatuating, annoying and perverted, and I prefer to have the less contact with you as I possibly can." Leon replied, toying with the medallion absent-mindedly "I don't think the dorms are burning to the ground, so you shouldn't be here either."

"I thought you'd like to know why Sora bought such an ugly thing."

"No, I don't."

"You may be handsome, but you're not a good liar, Leon." Fool teased "You wanted to have something of Sora's that's why you took it. Your heart races tenderly every time thoughts of her beautiful face, tender skin or tight legs cross your mind…" at that, he jumped out of the way of Leon's fist as the man tried to throw him out of his room. "Ah, I hit a tender string there, didn't I?"

"No, you just got too annoying. I'm tired of listening to you." Leon replied

"You can't hide from me."

"If you want to make a point, make it. Or else, show yourself out before I decide to get serious about this."

"Fine." The spirit rolled his eyes and stood upright in front of him "I was spying on Mia and Anna before they got into the showers today…"

"I'm warning you, Fool…"

"They discussed these trinkets. Apparently, yesterday when they were at the island they found a shop where an old lady sold them. She said that every one of these things had a secret compartment, just like a person's heart. She also said that if you write down the name of the person you love or draw his picture and put it in there, then carry the adornment all the time, that person will eventually fall in love with you."

"And why, may I ask, did those two discuss it. I thought that if you shared your wish with somebody, it would not come true."

"Things aren't going well between Mia and her boyfriend." Fool explained slyly "She's wondering if she should ask for his love if he's not that into her. You know, forcing things is never good for anyone."

"I'm all too well aware of that." Leon replied "So, were you with them yesterday when they purchased these things?"

"No, but I saw Sora write down her name and put it in the locket when she came back. Ah…Now you seem interested."

"Not really." He lied, putting the trinket back into his pocket "It's none of my business. Although…it would be sad to see her disappointed when she finds out that such nonsense doesn't work."

"Strange way to put it." Fool grinned "You see me, and it's pretty obvious I can't be explained by anything your modern mind can come up with, yet you don't believe in magic?"

"I still maintain that you can be some sort of mass hallucination."

"A hallucination that you can touch and hear speak?"

"Some people have a very wild imagination."

"Some people don't. Anyway…" he babbled on "…Why not believe that this thing may work? She may want the love of somebody who's already in love with her."

"The charm can hardly take credit for feelings that already exist."

"No, but if it gives that person courage to confess, it might."

"This is ridiculous. Such tricks cannot work. There is not a single scientific evidence to confirm it. How can writing a name and wearing it in a locket do anything to the person mentioned? How can it boost their courage? It's just paper, ink and metal."

"It builds up faith. That's more important than anything sometimes. Don't snort…" Fool scolded him "Faith is what got Sora so far. If she didn't believe in her stage, her dream, do you think she would've gotten so far? Kaleido stage was closed over and over again for her, and yet now she is the Top Star. Her performance reaches the hearts of the audience, and it brings out the best in them. She is absolutely unique and wonderful, even you have acknowledged that. I don't see why should you be so negative towards faith."

"I never said I was negative towards faith. But there is no real magic in these. In most cases, it is only a scheme to rob people off their money. Using someone's hope to make a personal gain is hardly something I'd call admirable." He sighed. Often, he'd seen these so-called-mediums and they only gave him the impression of an errand dog dressed as a poodle. They had an act that could fool ordinary idiots, but in such cases he seldom felt disgusted with those who fell victim to such people. After all, he too had lost a beloved person, and he wanted to know more than anything if she was ok, wherever she was. But he could not bring himself to believe the words of some dirty old woman who only knew how to roll her eyes and speak nonsense.

"Perhaps you'll think otherwise when you know whose name is in that locket." Fool teased "And don't tell me you don't care. I can see into you. You're burning with a desire to know who Sora's heart yearns for."

"It's her heart. Unlike her locket, I can't take it."

"Unlike her heart, you have her locket. Don't you want to know whose name is in there? All you have to do is open it."

"And you can't tell me instead?" Leon asked cheekily

"I can…" Fool nodded "But not without telling her a secret of yours in exchange, just to be fair. How does that little bet of yours sound like? Would it be enough of a price for you to pay to know the name of the one Sora loves?"

"Sora loves the stage. Isn't that why she gets to see you?"

"And why do you get to see me, I wonder? Your heart isn't set only on revenge and brooding, just like Sora's isn't on the stage alone. You fool yourself that there is no place for nothing but the stage there, not for you, not for anyone, and you were content. But now that you know that she can fall in love, you're restless. I can see it. So why not at least know the name of the one who can take her away with one word, forever? You don't need to agree to trade your secret for hers. You have the power to know."

Leon rose from his chair and walked towards the window. He looked out, watching the light play on the surface of the sea, before taking out the locket and playing with it for the nth time that evening. Then he turned around and walked towards the cupboard, threw the medallion in one of the drawers, before shutting it with a snap. Afterwards, much to Fool's surprise, he responded.

"Sora's feelings are her own, and if I obtain any part of them, be it even knowledge, without her permission, would not make me deserve it. If she wants to tell me who that is, fine. I'd learn who he is sooner or later anyway."

"But…" the spirit of the stage blinked, stumbled "Why would you keep the locket, if you didn't care?"

"Why?" Leon looked almost pleased with himself "Because it's interesting."

* * *

Morning came, faster for some than to others. After being locked up with May for nearly eight hours in the same room, Ken was considering himself a part of the second group. By the time she had explained what she had meant and 'straightened things out' with him, the dorm had already been locked up. Debating over whether he should try sneaking out through the window and down the drain, or just try and wake Sarah up, they had come to a decision that the latter was preferable and thus they knocked on her door for fifteen minutes (very quietly, so that they wouldn't wake anyone up).

After getting no response and dismissing the idea of trying to call her louder, they came to the conclusion that Sarah, as the only woman who had a boyfriend that knew exactly how lucky he was to be graced with a Goddess like her, probably had gone off to spend the night with Kalos, leaving her second-in-charge Mia to take care of things. Knocking on HER door was pointless, as the girl slept like a rock and didn't particularly share the dorm-keeper's cheery attitude towards everything, and explaining how Ken got in the dorms in the first place was going to be hard without raising absolutely no suspicion. Or rumor.

So that's how he got settled on May's couch for the night, a rest he didn't particularly enjoy as the acrobat even screamed moves in her sleep, loud enough to keep him awake too…He was up and ready before the crack of dawn, but only then it occurred to him that he would have to wait for Mia to wake up and THEN he would have to hide until he was sure the dorm was absolutely empty to sneak out. Damn, he was going to be so late for work…

* * *

By the sounds coming from behind the door, he could tell that people were already up and around. Not too soon, May appeared in the kitchen, yawning lazily and muttering a half-hearted 'hullo' before pouring herself a cup of coffee and slumping down on the table.

"Hey!" she yelled "What are you…oh, yeah. Now I remember. Mornin'."

"Good morning." Ken muttered feebly, seating himself next to her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby, which is weird since I have a guy in my room." May replied "Hey, did you know this is the first sleepover I've had with a boy since I came to the dorms?"

"Yeah?" he wasn't surprised she didn't even bother asking him how his night had gone. By the looks of it, she probably knew.

"Well, since you're up, care to fix me some breakfast?"

"I thought you were the cook here…" he sighed, getting on his feet and heading for the fridge with the intention of taking whatever was in there to make pancakes for both of them.

This was not the way he had imagined his first morning with a girl. Of course, having a little sister, he was certainly not lacking a female presence at breakfast, but he had hoped that he would share many wonderful mornings with the one he loved. Things just never turned out how he wanted them. And, unfortunately, he was just about as good as cooking as May was modest.

For those of you who can't imagine the havoc that followed, allow me to sketch it for you-five minutes after he started, the bar was covered with flour, there were more eggs out of the bowl than in it and Ken had acquired a brand new coating of cocoa and vanilla. May, who had put up with it for about ninety seconds (a true feat indeed), had loudly cut in, wrestled him for the spoon, contributing to some of the mess in that way, and for about less than a few seconds the amount of sound pollution in the dorms by another twenty degrees. Surprisingly, it lasted a considerable amount of time-Ken having the advantage of already dealt with a loud and obnoxious sister had learned to keep a firm grip on everything he got his hands on, and he fancied himself good with children. Unfortunately, by years and experience with the said little beasts, May outdid him, and when she added her skills to the mix, the mess was complete. For Ken, who liked his mornings peaceful and serene, it was a shocking change that led him to actually raise his voice as he tried to bat May away.

Can't imagine it getting worse?

What the poor boy had forgotten in all the calamity was something one shouldn't really forget in such situations. Namely, his parents. Of course, they knew well that he often had to work late, and it happened that he didn't come home, but he had the habit of calling them to warn him not to wait for him. And since he hadn't, they had been worried and called themselves.

That was how the news about Ken's disappearance had spread all over as soon as the dorms were opened, and a search had been set in motion. And the commotion in May's room rose people's attention.

As she finally managed to throw him on one of the kitchen chairs and pin him there, the front door opened with a slam and Julie and Charlotte entered the room.

"May?!"

"May-san, are you alright?" Julie…or Charlotte said, before both froze dead in their tracks, staring at the little picture in front of them. May looked up with a scowl on her face to see what the ruckus was all about, before becoming acutely aware of what they saw. Slowly, she looked down at Ken, who stood absolutely dumbstruck, head crooked in an impossible angle to look at their sudden visitors. Before either had time to gather their wits enough to come up with an excuse, the two were already babbling while beating a hasty retreat.

"Oh, sorry, May-san…"

"We just heard the commotion and…"

"Wanted to make sure you were alright…"

"Ken-kun's parents called, he didn't come home…"

"And they were worried, so told us to keep an eye out for him…"

"Make sure he didn't sleep in the bushes or something like that…"

"Not that he's slept in…"

"Never mind us…"

"Yeah, we see it's all fine…"

"Sorry for the interruption…"

"Yeah, and congrats, Ken-kun…"

"We'll be leaving you to yourselves…"

"Yeah, nobody likes to get cut off in the middle, eh…"

"Heh, yeah…we'll just go and tell the others it's alright…"

"So that they wouldn't be worried…"

"Bye…"

"Bye…"

"Bye!" May screeched, before realizing just how that had sounded. Looking down at Ken, she could only blush and looks stupid, before getting off him and straightening her clothes out. The boy wanted to bury his head into his hands and cry with desperation as he heard Julie and Charlotte's voices a floor under them, explaining something in a loud tone, and then the reply their statement got. He barely had the guts to look up at May and look indignant, while she sheepishly cleared her kitchen.

Stating the obvious seemed pointless. They were both absolutely done for.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

The one thing May hated about the near-interrupted camaraderie between everyone in Kaleido stage was that everyone heard everything. So there were virtually no news that were left untold, and through the principle of the broken line, things twisted in ways that were absolutely unimaginable.

"Hey, did you know what happened today between May and Ken?"

"May and who?"

"The blond cutie that runs things backstage. You know, the one that we've been betting on how long it would take for him to confess to Sora."

"Oh, right, that one. So what about them?"

"Well, they were found this morning in a very compromising position."

"A compromising position?" that line was usually followed by lots of dumb blinking and sheepish stares, as the person in question tried coming up with a picture.

"Yes. A VERY compromising position."

"Oh. Did I win anything from the bet then?"

…

"Hey, have you heard about May and Ken?"

"No, what about them?"

"They were found _in flagrante delicto _this morning."

"May and Ken? How'd that happen?"

"I don't know, ask Julie and Charlotte. They stumbled upon them."

"So you heard it from them?"

"Yeah, and they mentioned something about an egg-beater."

…

"Oi, did you hear that May and Ken were caught together this morning."

"So THAT'S where he went last night. Well, at least he should've called and warned his folks not to worry."

"Ah, come on, he's OBVIOUSLY a grown man. He should try being a little independent for a change."

"He sure has. Wonder how he managed to tame May?"

"My source mentioned something about an egg beater."

…

"So I told him that it wasn't going to happen…"

"Hey, guys, did you hear the News?"

"What news?"

"May and Ken were caught doing naughty things this morning with an egg beater."

"And egg-beater?"

"Yeah, but I'm late for practice, I'll tell you all about it later."

"…"

"…"

"Well I'll be! To think Ken of all people would be found with May!"

"You know what they say, quiet waters run deep."

"And vise versa-I thought that everyone but Leon were beneath May."

"Where do you think Ken spent the night? Then again, he was some sort of trapeze wonder before he got sick-maybe some of his old habits came back."

"Yeah, but an egg-beater?"

"Gotta know what works for you. Say, we should check how much we got from the betting pool. I think I put my money on 'Never.'"

"Yeah, me too. But it's strange, you couldn't tell by looking at them that there was attraction."

"Maybe it's a new thing."

"Yeah, but how do you think Sora's taking it?"

* * *

That was how a situation that should have been kept under wraps had turned into a fiasco involving a perfectly innocent kitchen appliance. Ken ran to the office where his parents were, with the intention of apologizing and straightening things out, only to be greeted by a blushing mother, a father that appeared a little too happy and Kalos, who had acquired that nearly unreadable expression that meant he was all but too amused. Apparently, they had already heard EVERYTHING and hurried to tell him that they understood, and that, naturally, he should have taken a break to enjoy the benefits of love, and of course that he was forgiven, he couldn't be perfect 24/7…He should bring the girl home these days, his mother told him, so that they could have a _chat_, and his father told him with a suggestive wink that if he needed any advice whatsoever he was always there to offer him some. Even Ken's boss told him that if he wanted some time off, he was perfectly entitled to some.

In the end, the poor boy never even managed to open his mouth and was shooed out of the office to see his little friends...

On her side, May wasn't faring any better. As soon as she had managed to put herself into a decent state she ran to make sure all rumors were killed in their making…only to find that they had spread faster than a plague of rats. Now, not only did everyone think that she and Ken were…involved, they were getting some pretty strange ideas.

As a result, the two of them were stuck together both in the minds of people…and at lunch. While Ken was considering this yet another sort of punishment, though, May used the occasion to rant and storm in front of the only person who knew nothing happened:

"…and now everyone thinks I'm with you!" she screeched

"May-san, please keep your voice down." Ken begged, more to the sake of his ears than to people not hearing

"Don't tell me what to do you…you…Looney!"

"Looney?"

"Yes, Looney! Maybe if I keep screaming the truth out in front of everybody, they might believe me!"

"Can't you scream it a little less louder? They don't need to hear you on the other side of the continent."

"Put a sock in it! It's all your fault anyway! If you weren't so damn insecure, maybe you would've confessed to Sora and I would be free to hit on Leon as much as I like."

Ken sighed. "It's not as easy as it seems, May-san. Sora is…well, she is…special. I…I can't force my feelings on her if she doesn't want them."

"You can't know if she wants them because you've never asked her, dope. And you've lost your chance, because with Leon around, there is no chance that she'll ever look at you as something more than a friend."

"Hey, you can't just say that! You don't know her."

"Oh, yes, I forgot! Love conquers all! Let me ask you something, young man, what did you do when Yuri kicked everyone out. She stayed with you, didn't she?"

"Yes, but…"

"And you never took advantage of that, for Christ's sake! What kind of a lover are you? Women want spontaneous, Ken, they want adventures, they want romance! All you can give is freaking comfort!"

"Since when is that a bad thing?!"

"Comfort, not as in 'My-boyfriend-dumped-me-help' comfort, comfort as in 'I'm-offering-you-security-when-you-need-it'. Girls look at guys like you only when they are sick and tired of a full-throttle life with bad boys. And with Sora that would never happen because she's so oblivious it would take something tremendous to make her snap out of it."

"And what? Leon can be that tremendous thing?"

"Are you kidding? That man has to be the embodiment of perfection-body of a god, skill of a fakir, attitude of a real bad-ass bastard and…and…and there's a lot more, if you're planning on contradicting."

"But women want commitment." Ken pouted "Leon is known to go over partners like handkerchiefs."

"I know!" May mumbled, nibbling on the straw of her drink "Damn it, the man is absolutely untouchable!"

"Can I ask you a question?" Ken leaned over the table, ignoring the looks the entire mess hall was giving them "Why do you keep trying to get Leon? He's Sora's partner, and she's the only one who can match his skill on stage. And…I don't think he notices anyone but on the stage."

"Oh, so you are afraid he's noticing Sora?!"

"Please answer my question. I really want to know! What does he have in him that attracts people, even those who know him?! Surely, girls want to be treated nice above all! It's human nature."

"They do." May sighed "I guess because only caring men are boring. Girls want excitement."

"Excitement." Ken looked disappointed as he shrunk back to his seat. Yeah, he wasn't exciting. After it became known he couldn't go back on the trapeze, people had been too nice, and then started to avoid him. Of course-in Kaleido Stage, if you couldn't be useful, you didn't belong. And compared to the artists, he was absolutely invisible.

"I GOT IT!" May shrieked, jumping from her seat and causing about a hundred pairs of eyes to drill on their table expectantly "WE INVESTIGATE!"

"May-san, please sit down!" Ken begged, tugging her arm. She complied, leaned in so close that their noses were almost touching and whispered secretively:

"We can turn this to our advantage, Ken! We can get the guys we want by investigating."

"First have a drink of water, calm down and then explain slowly and coherently." The boy said, a little confused. What could that daft girl have in mind?

"Don't you get it? This is a perfect opportunity." May said furiously "If we pretend to be a couple, we can openly snoop around them without raising suspicion. We can dig up some dirt around Leon, in order to make Sora see he isn't all that perfect. Also, we can make them jealous, and they will realize the extent of their feelings for us, and they'll see that they shouldn't have let us go. Then, all we have to do is break up, seek comfort and bam! We are hooked with the guys we like! And, this is a bonus, you get to fulfill your part of the bet."

"May-san, did you drink something strange?" Ken shook his head "This plan is absolutely bound to backfire."

"Why are you even talking? You should be dancing on the table or on your knees, thanking me!" the Chinese girl growled "I'm saving your skin here, even though you don't deserve it!"

"I'm not criticizing you, but there are just too many loopholes in this idea of yours!" he hurried to soothe her pride "You said it yourself, she is oblivious. Why should she be jealous?"

"She's never seen you with another woman, maybe she'll realize her feelings when she does. Think about it-a change of routine is bound to be noticed."

"Still, what about you? Leon-san hardly showed…I mean, he seems to be above things like jealousy."

"Are you in or not?" May asked, her tone dropping dangerously "Because you might as well throw away all your chances of getting Sora."

"Alright, alright, I'm in!"

* * *

_The melody was enchanting, dancing through the air like the stakes of moonlight on the wall. It sang and wept, wrapped around her and pulled her in deeper and deeper. On a lark, she kept walking down the corridor, looking for the source of this gorgeous melody. Her heart clenched, making her move faster, but it felt like she was fighting through a moor with every step she took. _

_It was pure agony. The sound was like a cry for help, and she could do nothing for the person playing it. She finally collapsed against the door, using her body's weight to open it, and there, sprawled over the piano, lay the person she wanted to find…but one look at him told her she was no longer needed. She approached him, seeking something, anything, to contradict the horrible realization dawning on her, but she knew, she just knew, that when she saw those eyes, once bright and alive, now glassy with unshed tears…the only evidence that sadness, that murderess, had left behind._

_She was too late. _

"NO!" Sora yelled as she fell face down on the ground.

Slowly, she scrambled back on her knees, rubbing her bruised nose, taking in her surroundings like a person who'd dosed off slowly coming to life. The practice room was empty, safe for the scarlet-haired starlet. Ah, yes, it was time for lunch. Everyone was probably in the mess hall right now. Sora sighed, getting up. She really had to be more careful or she was going to end up spontaneously falling asleep as she walked. Her intention was to rest her eyes for a moment, but apparently, it had turned into her lying on the landing mats and falling sound asleep.

Unacceptable! What if that happened when she was in the middle of a performance? What kind of a star fell asleep in the middle of her own show? If she couldn't keep her eyes open, what was left for the audience? May was bound to make some comment about it, and Leon…Leon…

Well, she could blame it on him, really. She would have, too, but she was too nice. Thanks to his little antics the other day she had barely shut her eyes that night, wondering what on Earth was going into that complicated and absolutely strange brain of his. What was more, what would happen if he opened the locket and discovered what was written inside….She daren't think what he would do, say, or to whom…She'd finally dozed off around three AM, which was hardly enough for a person who needed their energy as much as she did.

Now she was a nervous wreck because of that stupid, stubborn and absolutely…

"Oh, you woke up!" Leon said from somewhere behind her.

…soundless man! Damnation!

She turned around to look at him slowly, as if her joints and muscles were suddenly malfunctioning. One of his hands was in his pocket, as always, and he held a small bag into the other.

_What's with that look?_ She asked herself. _It's nearly worried._

"Yeah, I was just…"

"What happened to your face?" he cut her off, walking towards her with long strides until he was inches away from her "Why is it red?"

"Huh?" Sora snuck a peek at herself in the mirrors and gulped loudly. She knew her nose had sustained some damage, but her forehead and chin too? Her eyes were also red and puffy. Had she really cried in her sleep? One of her hands came up to brush against her cheeks and the traces of tears freshly burning there. "I just…err…fell off the mats as I woke up…"

Leon shook his head with a sigh. "You should be more careful."

"Yeah…" she said sarcastically "That's what I was just telling myself. I think I'll just go to the mess hall to grab a bite to eat…"

"It's closed. Practice starts in thirty minutes anyway." He said, handing her the bag "I brought your lunch up instead."

"Oh…" was all the reply she could muster.

_Very intelligent, Sora. One would never think that guy steals jewelry in his free time._

_Oh, come on! How am I supposed to be angry with him when he's acting nice!_

"Thank you." She finally remembered

"You're welcome." He said, before turning on his heel and walking out "Put some ice on the bruise."

* * *

Sora huffed, sitting back on the ground and opening the lunch. Sometimes, that man made her so mad she wanted to punch a hole in the wall. She could too…she had the strength to, but violence, even towards inanimate objects, was something she was absolutely against.

So why was she still contradicting herself about him? He was mean, so she had to dislike him, but then he was an absolute dream, and her knees immediately gave out! That was not how a woman should act! She had to be independent, otherwise he would think she was weak and clingy, a real deadweight.

_And why would you not want him to think you're weak? _

Sora blinked, looking around, as if expecting Fool to pop out of somewhere any minute. Why was she asking herself these questions again? Leon generally gave the impression of an independent person who valued other people for their independence, that was why. And she wanted him to…respect her, at least, because…because, well, he was her partner, and partners had to respect each other in order to work well together.

_Yeah…work well together. Just like Layla-san and Yuri-san._

Precisely, she thought, just like them. They always make such a great show, they display such passion and fire, all because they're real partners, who trust each other in every single moment…

The thought came to a screeching halt as Sora realized where this was getting at. Her cheeks grew pink when the implication sank in, making her shake her head furiously. No, no, that was not it. Partners on stage didn't necessarily become partners in life…

_And yet some of the best are…_

And when you became involved with somebody, tension build up eventually between you and your friends…

_On the other hand, it might help them realize that they had lives of their own to live…_

And Leon wasn't showing an ounce of interest to her anyways.

_Yeah…and you don't want that, don't you…_

Sora groaned and got on her feet, tired of the dispute. It was pointless to argue with an opponent you can't even see, she thought, as she headed towards the dressing rooms, hoping to find some peace of mind there. However, as she walked through the corridor, she froze dead in her tracks…She listened hard, but nothing interrupted the quiet noon air.

Strange, she thought as she resumed her pace. For a second, she could've sworn she heard the haunting melody from her dream…

* * *

A/N-Sorry, not very humorous. I hope you liked it, nevertheless.


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

One, two, tree, one, two, three, two, two, three…Sora kept the count going in her head, but the practice seemed distant and alien to her. She tried listening to the music, but all she could think about was the haunting melody from back then. The ballet teacher constantly told her to focus, but she knew that no matter what she did, she would not do anything but execute the movements. If Cathy saw her, she would throw a fit.

"What kind of Helena is that?"

Everything seemed strange recently. She was so preoccupied with the new stage that she was barely seeing her friends. Her performance never seemed to be good enough, although she was supposed to be the True Star. Not to mention that Leon, her partner, and probably the only man who still somehow managed to irk her, was behaving in a way that was, at best, strange.

Stealing her things, refusing to give them back, and talking like a sphinx whenever she tried to ask him why…The latter was not entirely unlike him, though Leon usually spared his words because he thought it beneath him to speak to people inferior to him rather than the mystic part of it. However, now he was throwing her riddles when she wanted answers and that annoyed her, even more than his behavior when he first joined the stage.

"Sora, how many times do I have to ask you…"

"I'm sorry, teacher." She snapped out of it "Perhaps I may be allowed to step into the side room?"

"Do what you want…" the man sighed "Just try to get your focus back."

"Yes, thank you…" she was already heading into the smaller saloon, her hands running absent-mindedly through her hair.

But today she had everything but focus. Sora stepped towards the bar, held onto it and began the warm-up once more, letting her muscles do the moves as they remembered them in the hopes that routine might help her get into the mood for practice. _Plié, demi-plié, passé_ into second position, another set of _pliés, rond de jambe par terre_ into forth, _plié_, foot moving into fifth, _relevé, soutenu_, repeat on the other side. She really had to make up a better routine, that one was too easy to remember, Sora thought as she moved to face the mirrors and prepared for battement, hoping rather than believing that it would help.

She understood Layla's desire to master new techniques now…really, was everything to be dull and boring now that she was the Star? Sora knew that if she wanted she could have her foot up and hold it next to her ear without any help, but what was the use? She needed a change. The slightest details, like that mysterious melody, were filling her head and turning into a full-fledged disaster.

It had started about a month ago, when she had stayed behind, talking to Kalos. However, after she'd seen him and Miss. Sarah off, instead of going back to the dorms, she had decided to take a stroll around the pear. The night had been magnificent, despite the rather chilly weather, and she'd forgotten herself. Actually, she'd almost felt guilty for observing the way the wind blew, bringing out small sand storms on the beach, and the sea play with its waves in an almost child-like manner. Everything had seemed so quiet, so serene, that it was only the fact that the clouds were gathering up in the sky that reminded her that she was supposed to go back to her, ironically, human reality.

Sora had grabbed onto the railing, using it as a guide to the dorms as she could not even see her own hands, but then she'd heard something that had her frozen in place. She knew that she was somewhere close to the gym, and the sound of the old piano confirmed it. However, the melody that was being played was so wonderfully executed, she had at first believed it to be a recording of some sorts.

That assumption proved wrong when the music suddenly stopped and a passage was repeated again, with a little less slurring than before.

She'd never been the one for music. Her aunt's desire that she learned to play an instrument hadn't gone past some of the most basic scales, but the time she spent doing gymnastics and acrobatics had made her sensitive towards the different sorts of music and she knew how to tell bad playing from the good. And the performance she was listening to, albeit unsure, was amazing. However that pianist played those notes, the sound was rich, strong, uncommonly beautiful.

After that, she had often made her way through that spot at night, hoping to hear it, and it was the same every single time. It was so wonderful she wanted to listen to it until she couldn't keep straight, but as many times she had attempted to ambush the mystery musician, her efforts had been in vain. He always managed to give her the slip. And, apparently, he had taken a note from that, because he started later and later every night, as if he was hoping that she would have already given up.

It was as if he was like the sky that night-eager to protect his secrets, he stayed away from humans as much as possible. And she didn't even know why that pianist was a 'he' in her mind…perhaps it was because last week, he'd added more songs to his recital, and the way he'd played some of those melodies…it had touched some chords in her soul she didn't even know she possessed. The song that she'd heard first was still crowning over all, and she could feel him pouring his soul into it, but…The change had pleased her, and she had taken a small pleasure, fancying that he was doing it for her, especially for her…As if by making love to the sound he was making love to her…

Stupid…Sora opened her eyes and realized that she had moved away from the bar and was now dancing in the middle of the saloon. Her body was suddenly extremely warm, and when she licked her lips she tasted salt…had she tired herself so much. She shot herself a glance as her limbs moved on their own accord and was stunned by what she saw. She saw the simple dance routine that was supposed to be a part of the "Overture"-young girls dancing on the day before their King's marriage, but the way she was interpreting it was…well, shocking.

Not only that, it felt as if her body had been totally possessed. Her mind was detached, absolutely foreign to what was happening to 'Sora'. Her emotions gave commands that the muscles executed without a second though, and her facial expression was just to match! Her cheeks were glowing, her eyes were half lidded and her breath was coming out in small, delicate whistles out of her lips. What was happening to her?

She stopped, not because it was what she wanted but because the dance had ended anyway. Sora dropped on her knees, bracing herself against the wall, taking greed gulps of breath and sanity at the same time.

See? She was now imagining a secret affair with a song! What was next? Seeing a dream guy in every stranger that passed her? She really needed to get a grip of herself.

Unbeknownst to her, a door closed silently, and the person behind it moved away from the room before she realized that she had been watched.

* * *

Sora wiped her brow and stared at herself in the mirror. Her expression was slowly turning back to normal, but the fire in her eyes was still lingering. Maybe she was slowly becoming insane…or perhaps she had taken this Helena thing too seriously. She had taken a situation from her life and applied the emotions that Helena was supposed to experience in it. And, if that did help her get into character, the intensity with which these emotions racked her up was frightening.

These last few days she hadn't had the time to visit that mystery pianist, an opportunity to have her head back on the ground, but instead, Leon had started behaving strangely, as if he was in some sort of conspiracy to completely drive her insane. Forget the total disregard for personal property, the man was acting frighteningly like a concerned friend. No, more, boyfriend. He'd actually decided that it was better to let her sleep on the mats and bring her lunch instead of waking her up and letting her freshen up with a shot of coffee like everyone else. He'd taught her anger, not like a fellow actor who cared for the performance, but an intimate acquaintance that didn't want her to miss out on something important in life. And their merry little chase yesterday hadn't been left to pass by-she'd spent half the night trying to analyze it.

And it wasn't like she didn't have a good reason to do that. Leon was probably one of the most mature and serious people she knew. He rarely spoke, let alone let himself get involved into childish, silly things. Having him laugh was a feat that would make Hercules break a bone or two, and to have to chase him around the practice room, then suffer the embarrassment of actually being caught by him as if you were a dolly of some sorts…

But what had freaked her out the most hadn't been any, or all these feats together. It had been the look in his eyes. Every single time he laid his gaze on her, something dark passed into them. They became sad, pensive, almost wistful. He was looking at her as if he was seeing someone he hadn't met in a long time and had been dying to meet again. No….not simply dying. Walking barefoot through the Sahara desert, then passed through the nine circles of Hell and then back out, swam over the Pacific Ocean _without_ stopping by Hawaii and then dying, all just to meet that person.

It made her freeze and burn at the same time. And it wasn't only from fright. The only thing that made it worse was probably the fact that he didn't do much but glare at her.

"There you are." Yuri's voice rang behind her, making her squeal and jump up "I was looking all over for you, Sora."

"Oh…hello, Yuri-san. Layla-san isn't here today…" she babbled, smiling her sweet smile

"I know." He did? Now that was a surprise "I came to talk especially to you."

O-oh! Bells rang into her head as she remembered the last time he had flashed her _that _smile and spoken to her in _that _tone. One of his hands was in his pocket, and despite his lips quirked upwards, his eyes most definitely did not smile. He'd had that shark's look just before he asked her to join him as the leading lady in his new trope, abandoning Kaleido Stage entirely.

Still, she forced herself to be calm as she asked:

"Really? What for?"

"Sora, have you ever wondered how ill-suited everyone is with this play?"

"Well…"

"I was thinking that perhaps you are not satisfied entirely with your role as Helena…it's a little too encumbering, after all. I can talk to Kalos and arrange for you to switch parts with Layla."

"Well…" she stammered "Thank you, that's a very nice suggestion, but…I'm starting to get comfortable with the role, but I will ask Leon-san and if it's alright with him…"

"Actually, there won't be a change of the male parts. You'll play with me as your Lysander."

"Oh…But…Won't you rather do it with Layla-san? You guys are…" she stopped herself in time before she said lovers "…I mean, isn't she your partner? You guys are so amazing together."

"Yes, aren't we?!" For the first time since the conversation began he seemed genuinely pleased "However, we're experiencing some artistic disagreements, and I was thinking that maybe she needs some space." He moved closer, his hand moving to brush some stray bangs from her eyes "I promise I'll help you catch up with the role, Sora, and I'm sure Leon wouldn't mind either." His eyes became pleading, but she could not tell whether he was sincere or acting out on her "Will you be my partner, Sora?"

Her knees trembled slightly, and she hurried to straighten herself up, fighting to maintain a semblance of composure. "Oh, I got it!" she exclaimed

"Huh?" he stepped back, surprised at her sudden perkiness "Got what?"

"I see now! Thank you!" she bowed

"So you'll be my…"

"You were helping me with my role! Thank you! I know I'm pulling everyone down, but I swear I'll make things better!"

"That's all well and good, but…"

"You're too kind! I'm so sorry for needing help with that part! But everyone is so kind, you, and Layla-san, and Leon-san!"

"Leon…" Yuri blinked

"You're not the only one who's offered her help lately, Killian." Leon's voice rang from a corner, making them both start and turn around

"Leon-san!" Sora yelped "I didn't see you there!"

"I just arrived." The man walked towards them, and she couldn't help stare at the sun shining into his gorgeous hair "We're expected at practice, Sora. Your teacher sent me to fetch you."

"Oh…" she looked at the clock "So it is…I'm so sorry!"

"No need, we have only just began." He rolled his eyes "Did I interrupt something of consequence?"

"No, Yuri-san was just helping me with my role." She laughed "I'll be going on ahead, then…" she was about to leave when Leon's hand suddenly shot out and seized her by the shoulder

"Helping out? I hope he doesn't look down on you by offering you the easier role…" violet eyes pierced the blond man, and then Sora, who was slowly starting to feel like a golden apple again.

"I'm just thinking about the best interest of everyone." Yuri gave them a crooked smile

"Well, Sora and I are doing fine for now, I think." Her partner was looking at her again, daring her to contradict him.

"Er…yeah…that's right…we're absolutely peachy together…" She babbled nervously, eager to get out of the room "Let's hurry now, Leon-san, everybody's waiting."

"Yes…" he nodded, although he was still throwing a dark look at his former rival, as if he wanted to look into his soul and scare him witless.

* * *

Sora was hoping to lighten up things during practice, but despite her efforts at making small talk, all she got from Leon were monosyllable answers.

Well…it wasn't like she invited Yuri, or begged him for a change of partner…however, he looked at her as if she had offended him. During the entire time, he didn't even talk to her, but to her credit she executed her part perfectly. She didn't know what was worse-Yuri's behavior or Leon catching them together. For the first, she could pretend to be clueless for a while. For the second…well, she didn't plan to let it go by.

"Care to tell me what got you so mad?" she asked in an even voice as they were putting their things away and preparing to leave.

"Pardon?" he didn't even look at her. Bad!

"You haven't spoken to me at all!" she accused him "And why are you not acknowledging me?"

"Please keep your voice down, you're acting like May. And I think that today was hard enough on both of us-small talk isn't wanted when you're hanging in mid-air."

"But you are angry. I can see that you are." She fumed stubbornly. Thankfully, she didn't add 'and you're looking at me as if I'm nothing again'

"Not at all."

"Liar."

He straightened out and looked at her, causing her to gulp almost audibly and shrink back. In his full height, he loomed a good head and a half above her, blocking out all light and looking almost menacing…even when he didn't want to be. However, it always made her feel small and frail, and she immediately regretted trying to tease him. However, whether it was pride, selfishness, or something else, she didn't back down.

"And what if I am?" he finally asked "You know full well that I do not approve of Killian, even if he claims to be a reformed man."

"If I didn't believe that people can change, I wouldn't have thought that you were more than a proud and spoiled boy." She replied. Wrong. His fists clenched, a show of emotion that was amazing for him; anger was oozing from his very stance, as he finally spoke in a great effort to appear as detached as possible (and failing miserably).

"You are my partner. You may think you will be better with Killian, but Layla and I would make a disaster, not a performance, if paired up together."

"Stop insulting Layla-san already! Sometimes, Leon, I cannot help wondering what happened to you!"

"What are you talking about?"

"In one moment you're acting like everything is perfect, and then you're…" she huffed "Never mind! The point is that Layla-san is not responsible for any of your misfortunes."

"I did not say that because I dislike her. I was merely voicing a well-known fact. We do not work well together. End of story."

"Well at least you can try!"

"You too! Perhaps you have not yet realized that I cannot act on stage with anyone but you."

"Yuri-san was only making a suggestion! It's not like anyone took it seriously! And even if they did, what does it matter? You can go out on stage and act with a potato as a partner and not bother anyone! Including yourself!"

The rant could've gone on, if Leon's advancing hadn't stopped the flow of words dry. Sora's eyes widened as he shortened the distance between them was almost nonexistent. At the same time, his hands came up and seized her again, fingers digging in so that she had no choice but to look up. Their eyes met, her unshakable brown versus his steely blue. Whether it was anger or anxiety, both froze. Then, Leon bent down so that their faces were inches apart, his breath practically invading her mouth as he spoke, low and dangerous, with an emphasis on every word:

"You don't know anything!"

All the blood that had left her face suddenly mounted back and stained it red. Before she could react, let alone retort, he dropped her back on the ground, grabbed his bag and left the room in a whirl of silver hair and black clothes, leaving her absolutely stunned and defenseless on the ground.

* * *

**A/N**-This chapter is dedicated to **Royal blueKitsune,** my most dedicated reviewer. I hope your muses visit you soon, maybe that one responsible for Shattered Reminiscence or Light and Fantasy

On a less official note: Omg, this all came out in one day!

On a totally random note: I got a haircut! With a fringe!

Randomly and hopeful for reviewy yours,

F.S.


	7. Chapter 7

The spray of water hit him like a hurricane and drilled painfully into his skin. But he didn't care. It wasn't cold enough until it calmed him down, and seeing how things got, he was probably going to have to take out ice and rub it in his face until it was completely devoid of color. Leon braced himself against the tiled wall and breather heavily.

He hadn't been at dinner. After practice, he had practically sprinted to his room, locked himself in and proceeded to systematically turn everything upside down. When that hadn't helped him ease his pain, he threw himself in all sorts of things-writing, cooking, cleaning up. Finally, he threw himself in the shower.

Nothing seemed to help.

Damn it! Damn Killian, damn Robbins for drinking so much, damn that idiotic bet and most of all, damn HIM for being such a sly and self-assured prick! Why did he have to tease Yuri by suggesting that Layla wasn't as unavailable as he thought her? Now, instead of pissing the damn idiot off, he had forced him to make a move on Sora instead! Through the desperation laced some pity for Layla, for having such a fickle boyfriend, but the main problem was that Yuri had made a move on Sora…and he was likely to succeed.

Leon craned his head up and let the water splash into his face. He hated to admit it, but when it came to Sora, he was fine when he didn't have competition, but when Yuri came along, he was going to have to try hard. When it came to personality, Killian beat him in every aspect, and he was much smoother with women. He knew how to make them feel flattered and comfortable, and in love.

Not that he couldn't do better, though…For some reason of another, whenever he wanted some woman, she seemed to come on her own to him. Sora shouldn't be any different, but…he didn't want to seduce her. It felt sick!

He didn't want to seduce her, but he didn't want anyone else to have her. God, what a dilemma! If only he was certain that all she cared for was the stage, he wouldn't have worried. But Sora was growing-he could see that long before anyone else did. It was human nature, after all, develop, and now that she was the Star, she had to do something with her life. Otherwise, she was going to end up like Layla-eager for new conquests and greater moves, going as far as hurting herself in her desire to do better. A relationship was relatively safer than that, but Leon couldn't swallow the idea that Yuri Killian might actually be the one…

Honestly, why did he have to do it? To punish him for suggesting that he might steal Layla from him? Maybe he should do that, to teach him a lesson…but whenever he tried imagining himself on a date with Layla, nothing seemed to cross his mind. Sora, however, was a different thing.

Leon shook his head and paced around the flat again. In a desperate attempt to relax, he walked over to the table where a notebook lay open, showing his scribbles from an hour before. He'd tried writing so that would help him relax, but there were so many inkspots and scratched words that he couldn't make out his own writing. Sitting down again, he took a deep breath and composed the following list:

"Reasons why I should not attempt to date/flirt/seduce Sora Naegino:

1. She is my partner.

2. She is like a little sister to me, AND she is not eighteen years old, by the laws of certain states seduction would be illegal

3. She is too young and inexperienced and I don't want to ruin her view of the world

4. She is my Partner, the only person that could make me go on stage, and I don't want anyone but her

5. I don't want her to think I am some monster that cares nothing for her feelings

6. I would hurt her

7. I have already hurt her

8. Things will never work out because she will learn about the bet, and if Robbins doesn't tell her, I would.

9. If things DO work out, she will forever ask herself if I did it for love or out of pride-that is unacceptable

10. I don't want to give Killian the pleasure of knowing that he broke me

11. I don't want to involve her into this childish game

12. I don't want her having regrets later on

13. Her friends would kill me if they heard I hurt her, and what we have now is better than a romantic relationship anyway"

Afterwards, however, he decided that he had to be perfectly accurate and in such cases, he had to write the other side of things. So after a lot of scribbling, scratching and fussing, he came up with the following:

"Reasons why I do not want Sora to fall into Killian's hands:

1. He will hurt her and whatever reasons I have for not going out with her, he has them double

2. Layla is the person Sora loves most and looks up to as a sister in this world

3. I don't want to see Sora in pain"

And finally, to finish this embarrassing recital, he wrote down:

"Reasons why I should try and date Sora Naegino:

1. To save her from Killian

2. We can always be friends afterwards

3. Because I won't stand any woman but her

4. Because I like her too much to give her to anyone else

5. Because she is **MINE ALONE**"

The pencil broke from all the pressure he applied to it on the last sentence. Leon stared at the dark, bold letter with disgust and tore the page away.

* * *

In the training hall of the Hamilton Mansion, a rich heiress swung from a trapeze to gather herself strength, threw herself in the air and executed the Golden Phoenix. The maneuver was perfect and simply breathtaking…However, Layla was not pleased. She jumped back on the flying trapeze and started swinging again, brow furrowed in concentration.

Usually, such a task would've been simple for her. After creating the maneuver, it was natural that she knew how to do it best. Today, though, something was ruining her focus and she often had to slow down, almost to a stop, in order to retrieve it.

Again! She took a deep breath, spun in order to gain more inertia, threw herself up, turned and…leapt over the trapeze that she was to catch. Her hand shot back to grab at it, but it was too late for such things-her body twisted with the sudden movement, there was some pain and she hung in the air for a second, as if wondering how to fall, before she came crashing down onto the safety net.

"Miss!" a terrified maid rushed into the room, but Layla straightened up before she made a few steps

"Yes?" the heiress asked, keeping her tone perfectly neutral, as if flunks like those were a constant part of her routine

"Are….are you…alright?" the girl squeaked.

"There is nothing to worry about." The blond replied as she slowly made her way to the steps "I will take a break now. Please bring me some water."

"Yes, Miss, of course." The girl bowed and rushed to the kitchen, leaving Layla alone once more.

She crashed down in the chair and, though she rarely indulged into such displays of weakness, buried her head into her hands and groaned with frustration. However, even that didn't seem to work, because her body slowly eased back and her head hung over the back. Her eyes zeroed on the dull white ceiling with fluorescent lights, studying them as if she hadn't seen them before. Her own body felt like a deadweight, pulling her to the ground, but aside from the annoyance of having forgotten how to execute such a simple maneuver, there was no feeling in her. As if she'd been submerged into a sea of apathy and was left to drift in it until she reached shore.

Water was brought and Layla forced herself up, to thank the maid at least, but the glass that was poured for her remained untouched. Instead, the blond chose to study the way the light reflected through the liquid and on the walls of the glass. If she held it up high, it played and danced in all the seven colors, like some sort of kaleidoscope. Then, she set it back on the tray, as disinterested as ever. Today, she was a mess. Today, she felt like doing absolutely nothing.

Layla tried tracing this mood back to the source to find out what caused it, but the more she traveled, the more she thought she didn't want to know. However, she remembered that it had started a couple of hours ago when Julie and Charlotte had come, not exactly as apathy, but more like a vague sense of disinterest. The two girls came every week or so, with news and gossip from the stage, their equivalent of leading a glamorous life. It never really bothered her-they weren't that bad, they just wanted to be recognized a little too hard. If this was a school, then they would be the third-rate cheerleaders that always dragged behind the captain of the team or other members of the Upper Crust. Besides, they offered her a point of view that Sora could not give her, and unlike her friend, they were not so clueless about…well, everything.

She remembered listening to them while she did some basic exercises, her way of relaxation after a tiring day. The news about Ken and May hadn't been what she expected to receive, but unlike the bigger part of the staff, who was painfully aware of the boy's crush on Sora, she hadn't place a bet and her interest in the gossip was quick to whither. However, it had suddenly peaked when Julie mentioned something about overhearing (read: eavesdropping on) a conversation between Yuri and Sora. Apparently, he was just proposing to Sora if she wanted to switch parts, act as Hermia and not as Helena, and then said that the male leads were NOT to be reversed. But, before they could hear more, they had realized that Leon was coming down from the other end of the hallway and they made a run for it before they got caught.

Of course, they didn't say all that, but Layla knew them well enough to fill in the blanks. However, the feeling of unease was slowly growing and she announced that she had a little more things to do, so the girls had been sent on their way. Suddenly, she felt bothered and itchy, and decided to try out the Golden Phoenix…and the maneuver didn't work.

She didn't know why, or how, did she come to this state. But now, after so many failed attempts, sitting down with a glass of water in front of her, Layla was beginning to feel a massive headache coming up. She still felt morbid and stiff, but now that her mind was free, it was slowly consenting to analysis.

Naturally, she didn't know what Yuri was talking about-they had never talked about swapping partners for the play. Of course, they hadn't really talked much after the Valentine's Day Disaster, but that wasn't the sort of thing you could keep from your partner. Her first thought on the matter was to call Sora, no, go to her, and demand an explanation. Then, reasoning that the girl was probably as confused as she was, she decided that it was better to find Yuri and ask him what had gotten into his head. However, that idea was also dismissed, since she had promised herself not to talk to him. And…yeah, that pretty much closed the circle.

Layla got up from the chair, deciding to call it quits and go to bed. They had practice again tomorrow, all four of them, and it wouldn't be good if she got there with a screaming headache. Cathy would kill her.

Ultimately, this could've been considered her fault. However, she was a Hamilton, and Hamiltons did not make mistakes…or apologize either. The fact that Yuri had acted like an idiot was unchanged, and she knew him better than to forgive…this, and his newest offences. She hated the way he thought the world was only his and had to do just as he bid. As if he was some sort of God! She hated it when he patronized her, when he thought he knew best and always cut her enthusiasm by claiming it was more than she could handle. She felt like strangling him just for that.

Really, what did she see in him in the first place? Aside from his body, maybe…

Damn it, why couldn't he be someone like Leon? That way she could excuse his behavior by saying that he didn't have a romantic bone in his body. Then again, romantic bone, Leon? More like the entire emotional skeleton is missing in that man.

That, of course, didn't help Yuri in any way. The man was as smooth as butter when it came to getting what he wanted, and he never dropped the mask of a perfect gentleman in front of the women…just his girlfriend.

She lay on her bed, not bothering to undress and started up at the ceiling. Her only option was to observe everyone tomorrow and learn the truth for herself. If the whole conversation had been just a figure of Julie and Charlotte's overactive imaginations (a highly probable fact, especially since they said Ken and May were hooking up), she would let it flutter by without endangering her friendship with Sora. If, however, there was some truth to it…

Well…Hell hath no fear like a woman scorned.

* * *

Sora walked out of her bathroom, limping slightly. Her bath robe clung loosely on her body, but this time she was sure that Fool wasn't watching. At that time, she was more concerned about getting to her bed (the distance never seemed so long) than a peeping perverted spirit.

She crashed onto the mat and sighed with exasperation. The next time she decided to tear her feet up with dancing, she was going to make sure to put on some sort of pads in her shoes. She didn't have to look to know that they were swollen and that blisters were already starting to form. Then again, with all the torture she'd put herself through for the Angel's Act, Sora was surprised that she could get worked out over something so small.

Perhaps next time she would make sure not to lose her sense of reality when she danced. But it was so easy, with the magic of the stage coming over her…

A quiet beep from her newly acquired laptop told her that she had received a message. Getting slowly to her feet, Sora tried deducing whether it was Anna informing her of her luck with her boyfriend, or Mia telling her whose name she decided to write in her locket. But to her surprise, it was an announcement that a certain Allegro that wanted to be added to her friends list.

Safety first, she thought, check his profile before you do anything rash. Mia had already showed her how to check out if it was someone she knew, and Sora was well aware of the fact that she had to pay attention, but her hands shook with anxiety. The musical reference was enough to make her heart pound.

The profile slots were empty, but the introduction was enough to have her accepting on spot: "I let music speak for me."

She had exactly ten seconds to scold herself for acting so foolish and relating to such a total stranger. Now she was bound to get into trouble, the least of which was any possible viruses in her PC. She wanted to turn off the computer and bury herself in the ground, but given the way her heart was pounding it was more likely that she would die from a seizure before she reached the mouse. That was before Allegro wrote to her:

_A: It's been a while since you last came to listen to me._

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

It took all her mental strength to keep her from tumbling over. Not that she wasn't already kneeling with shock, hands grabbing at her bathrobe in horror, as if the person on the other side of the line could notice that it had become undone.

Sora wobbled to her feet and looked at the screen again. Sure enough, the message was still there, and apparently so was Allegro. But…how could he nail her so quickly, and so accurately as well? Did he know who she was? Stupid question, of course he knew who she was. But…was he really the mystery pianist? She didn't have the brain capacity to decide whether it was safe to talk to him, but before she knew it, her fingers were already typing a response.

_SN: Are you the one who plays every night?_

_A: Not every night, but yes._

She hesitated.

_SN: How do you know who I am?_

_A: Everyone knows who you are. Naegino Sora. The True Star._

_SN: That doesn't explain how you know that I was the one listening to you._

_A: You just confessed it._

Damn it! Sora felt like burying herself alive. Had she just thrown herself into the clutches of some crazy stalker! It was highly probable, given her tendency to get into trouble from scratch. Lately, everything had gone wrong. A stalker was just the cherry of this messy cake!

But…how could anyone, who plays so beautifully, be bad? Her reason told her not to trust somebody because of artistic accomplishments, but the Kaleido Star in her trusted him, even though the only knowledge she had from him was from his music and these few lines…

_A: If you do not wish to speak with me, I won't bother you._

Sora typed down quickly:

_SN: Sorry. _

_SN: I didn't mean that._

_SN: I was just careful._

_A: Of course. It was a natural reaction. Perhaps you should not trust total strangers so easily._

_SN: Trusting strangers is what got me here. You?_

No answer. Alright, don't panic, she told herself. Ask him something else.

_SN: How could you tell it was me who was listening? It's always dark outside._

_A: When you play, it is always like you are transformed into another world._

_A: A world of your own._

_A: A world you share with everyone and yet not entirely._

_  
A: You can always feel when somebody is trespassing. _

It's like the stage, Sora thought. You gave yourself to the audience and became one with them, you created a fun stage for everyone, but there always was a piece of her heart that stung whenever she performed. It felt like something was missing.

No…Whenever she came up on stage, she gave her all. She gave more than just a performance-she acted on her feelings. And there was always a feeling of lingering sadness, because she knew that the feelings she expressed were exclusively for the stage, and could not be reciprocated anywhere but on it.

_SN: I know what you mean. _

_SN: I'm sorry._

_A: For what?_

_SN: For trespassing. I know how painful it is to intrude on someone's feelings. _

_A: I never said I minded it._

_SN: But why else would you go there and play in the dead of the night, if not something personal. _

_  
_It took him some time to answer that.

_A: I was. At first, your presence annoyed me a little. But not anymore._

Sora smiled. Thank god they had such a variety of emoticons nowadays.

_SN: That's nice to hear. :)_

_SN: But how did you know that it was me? You couldn't possibly be asking this question to everyone until you find the right one._

_A: I heard you say something once. I think you were quarrelling with someone._

Fool! Sora suddenly felt like kissing and killing the stupid spirit at the same time. She remembered that he had snuck upon her once, just as the piece the pianist had been playing was reaching its peek. She had started yelling, thinking that some pervert had caught her, and then yelled even more when she realized it was just the Spirit of the Stage. The music had stopped abruptly and never started for three days straight.

When it had began again, it had been as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. However…recognizing her just by the sound of her voice? That was very impressive of him. He probably had a great hearing…or perhaps he knew her too well. Speaking of which, she had to work on finding out who he was.

_SN: It's a little unfair._

_A: ?_

_SN: I mean, you obviously know who I am. _

_A: Where are you getting at?_

Sora paused, wondering about a delicate way to say this. She was still weary, but a part of her (a large, domineering part) wanted to know more about him. However, his strange nocturnal concertos, combined with his reaction when he realized who she was, made her believe that he wasn't going to let his guard down easily. She couldn't intimidate him with direct enquiries, so she had to coax the truth out of him.

_SN: All I know from you is your music._

_SN: I want to know if the rest of you is just as beautiful as it._

_The pause was excruciating. And then…_

_A: You will be disappointed. I'm afraid that only the darkness can give me any beauty._

Damn it, she was losing him. She typed so quickly her fingers hurt:

_SN: Five questions_

He didn't respond, but he didn't log off either. He was waiting. That was a good sign, she thought, even if she didn't have much experience in this kind of thing. She had to keep him interested. She had to dance around the subject. She would reveal his true identity by…And speaking of identities…

_SN: I'll ask you five questions, you'll answer and then I'll try and guess who you are. Is that ok with you?_

_A: Seems fair. _

Really? But why did he agree so easily? Sora frowned. Did he think she couldn't figure it out?

_SN: Ok then…are you male or female?_

_A: Male._

_SN: Are you a part of the Kaleido Stage cast?_

_A: Yes. How else could I tell your identity through by your voice?_

Logical…Alright, don't panic, think of something to narrow down the circle. If he was male and part of the Kaleido Stage cast, that meant she probably knew him. But…she knew everyone. She had been a part of every section of the company, including the electricians and backstage workers. When she was the girl-for-everything, she had gotten to know everyone well, but she never heard that they had talented pianists. Alright, here goes:

_SN: Are you playing for money or as a hobby?_

_A: Neither. _

_SN: Come on! People don't start to play so beautifully out of the sudden! You obviously must have learned. If you're trying to lie to me, the questions are going to get personal!_

She immediately regretted typing that. It was over. He was logging off. He wasn't going to talk to her again. Oh, gods, she felt sick. And then he did something she never expected.

_A: Sorry. I didn't mean that._

_A: I meant that I don't play for money or as a hobby now. I learned a long time ago and I never came around to picking up again._

_  
SN: You seem to be doing a good job at it now._

_A: Perhaps. But it won't be for long. _

_SN: ?_

_A: I've only started playing now because of a special occasion. After that, I will stop._

* * *

Sora remembered when Mia had told her that she could have her old laptop. She'd been thankful, of course, but never really excited. Even though she was Japanese, contrary to the cliché, she was not technology-obsessed. She'd never really had the time, or the money to have a bunch of expensive mobile phones, pagers, hands-frees and a state-of-the art computer just to keep in touch with a city of people. And it wasn't like she didn't have friends to talk to…

It wasn't any different now. She'd let Mia teach her the basic things she needed to know, but she hardly used her computer. The chat room was fun, but it felt so…impersonal. Even with all the emoticons, you couldn't express what you really felt. You couldn't see if a person was happy of sad, if their voice betrayed their emotions or hid them. You couldn't read anyone if you didn't see their face.

Then again, it gave you time to gather yourself up and stall.

_SN: Ok, two more questions…_

_A: One._

_SN: Two! I asked you only three questions so far!_

_A: No, you asked about three different subjects. It was four questions._

_  
SN: Only three of them had question marks!  
_

_A: Yes. And you left one question mark hang there all alone. You have one question. I suggest you pick it wisely._

See? How was she supposed to know if he was mocking her or was actually angry? Sora racked her head for a possible question, but then decided against it. It was better to know, after all, that he would talk to her again. She could ask him more questions afterwards. Now…she had to make sure he wasn't angry.

_SN: The night you first knew it was me…_

_A: Yes?_

SN: You were playing a song, and then you stopped. What was it?

There was a pause, before a message appeared in front of her.

**Allegro wants to send you a file: Chopin_Ballade_3**

As she accepter it, he wrote down to her.

_A: Go to sleep now. You have a lot of work tomorrow and so do I._

_SN: Will I see you sometime?_

No answer.

_SN: Will you at least talk to me?_

The pause was excruciating. And then…

_A: Of course. _

_SN: Thank you. And, Allegro…_

_A: Yes?_

_SN: I hope you reconsider stopping playing. It would be a shame._

_A: Sweet dreams, Sora._

**Allegro has logged off.**

* * *

Saying that she was a mess on the following morning was an understatement. Not only she'd spent god-know-how-long in front of the computer in a bathrobe and a mop of wet hair, but she had spent most of the night listening to the piece Allegro had sent to her. Ballade No 3 by Chopin…she had listened to it until her legs couldn't carry her, and now it was practically drilled into her head.

Of course, it was his performance. He'd staggered a bit in the first bars and had tried again…and it had been truly amazing. Every time she listened to it, it felt like she'd been in a whirlpool and then thrown out like a ragged doll-she was sweaty, tired, breathless, yearning for more. Even now she felt her sides burn at the thought, as if the song was something more than a musical piece. Actually, if she didn't know better, she would've thought that she had…had…with him…

Though she tried to push the thought away as silly and impossible, but by the glances people gave her as she walked towards the dressing room she couldn't help but wonder…

Sora threw herself at the nearest mirror as soon as she was out of sight and nearly tumbled over with surprise at her own reflection. Sure, her hair and clothes were fine, but her cheeks were flushed, making her skin look even paler, her chest was rising and falling quicker than ever and it made it hard for her to take normal breaths, and her eyes were positively glowing!

What was this? She waved her hand absent-mindedly in front of the mirror, as if to check if the woman staring back at her was her. She looked like Sora, but her expression didn't really match her own.

As she changed, she wondered what might have that song caused. Perhaps she had to look into it. Maybe it had some strange story linked to it that made it so special. But still, what made her jump every time she though she heard someone play? Was it the music? Or Allegro?

Damn, she had to find out who he was. She couldn't just go with a username forever. Especially when he made her feel so…so…

Feminine? Soft? Alive? Sora wasn't stupid or ignorant, after all. Just because of the fact that she'd never had a relationship didn't mean she didn't know. She'd often listened to older and more experienced girls talk about men, and her mother had explained already everything about the...err…activities connected with love. She knew that babies didn't come from cabbages and that getting pregnant wasn't the worse that could happen to you if a man had his way with you. You don't have to be married to have sex, but you're not obliged to do it either, if you don't want to. Never feel pressed because of your boyfriend.

From what she had heard and read on the subject, or one should say-the hazy memories of these, she had a good idea of what she was feeling, but she couldn't be sure…But really, what a time for her body to decide to discover the hormonal and complicated function that sexuality was?! As soon as she stepped out of the dressing room, she realized that today was going to be one of those days!

The atmosphere was tense, even if the actors were only warming up. Layla and Yuri were still not talking, and Leon…oh, God, she shouldn't have looked at him. She was feeling so hot she couldn't breathe.

"Sora?" Mia stepped next to her with her customary smile "Ready for action?"

"Action? Sure! Yeah! Ready for a marathon!" she said, a little too enthusiastically, but in order to keep the façade, ran to the nearest bar and started stretching.

However, even routine didn't seem to help. She couldn't help but feel eyes burning a hole in her back, and whenever she turned, there was either Yuri, or Layla, or Leon staring at her. The former, being closest to her, was causing a great stir, not only to her head but to her hormones as well. The situation didn't get better when he actually walked up towards.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod!!!!!!!! Why was she feeling so? Why did he have to look so handsome? Why did she have to think of that Ballade as she watched him?

"Are you ready?"

Why was everyone asking her why she was ready? Didn't she look ready, damn it?

"Yeah, sure." Did it sound too cross? Damn it, how did he expect her to be herself when she was on the verge of hyperventilation? She was on the floor, in a side-split, stretching, but that didn't help her much. Gods, he was burning her with his mere look.

"Is that so?" he mumbled, but to Sora's overloaded brain that gained a very different sound. She looked up, but didn't trust herself to talk, lest she say something stupid or embarrassing. Leon didn't say anything else, just…stared. Oh, crap.

Her body was growing hotter by the second. In a desperate attempt to make some room between them, and with that, a semblance of normality, Sora grabbed onto the bar and pulled herself up, but didn't calculate her movement well enough and crashed straight into Leon. His hands came up to steady her, but that didn't help. Her body temperature rose drastically and before either of them could do anything about it, Sora fainted in his arms.

* * *

A/N-Ballade No 3 by Chopin is truly a wonderful piece. For a mediocre pianist like myself, playing it is a far away dream. But do listen to it. It's wonderful. You can catch it on Youtube.

God bless Seniors and their matriculations, for they have given me time to update. Enjoy, and give lend the your strength for tomorrow's exam.


	9. Chapter 9

It could've been worse. It had to be able to get worse. As Kate-san bandaged her legs, she knew that, but the way she had reached that conclusion had been bumpy. Very, very bumpy.

It started with her waking up on an improvised cot of three chairs and a bunch of coats as a pillow, surrounded by so many people it was a miracle she could breathe. They were whispering at first, but as soon as they realized she was wide awake and listening, it was like somebody had turned the volume button at max! Everyone, literally everyone, tried to talk to her, to comfort her, to ask her how she was. Somebody was trying to check the pulse on her neck, somebody held her hand, and everyone seemed to shout over the other. Sora held her breath with anxiety.

"Get away from her, can't you see she isn't breathing?" a familiar voice scolded from somewhere and as if through a charm the circle around her broke. Leon sighed from his place in the other corner of the room, looking at them with thinly veiled amusement. Great, Sora thought. The only person who wasn't overreacting was thinking this was funny. If he was just closer, she would've smacked him!

That is, after she got her hand out of Yuri's. She looked up at the blond acrobat, equally confused and terrified. Behind him, Layla threw them a dark look before resuming her usual impartial expression. Sora blushed and hurried to pull away, mumbling half-hearted excuses like "Sorry" and "A little light-headed." However, neither Mia nor anyone else was buying it. They all insisted that she shouldn't move until Kate-san came over, and didn't even let her get up. The ring of people was tightening around her again and Sora closed her eyes shut in an attempt to control her breathing.

* * *

Luckily, Kate-san arrived quickly. Miraculously, the ER had been empty and they had managed to speak a car so that she could come immediately. Just as the bride-to-be expected, the situation wasn't as grave as Ken had made it look like on the phone. Then again, knowing how much everyone loved Sora, overreacting was the least of her worries.

"Alright everyone." She said severely, although some amusement leaked through her mask of hardcore professionalism. "Make some room. Don't get too clustered around her, she needs air." Mass hysteria was never good. One look at Sora told her that the red-head was alright, but this situation was becoming too overbearing. "If you are conscious, there is nothing to worry about. Perhaps we might need some privacy?"

Before Sora could even finish nodding, she was suddenly high above the chairs as Leon scooped her up and carried her across the building to Kalos' office (the owner of which vacated it without a word). Then, without even throwing so much as a glance at her, the Frenchman left, exchanging nothing but a nod with Kate as they passed each other at the door. The sound of the latter closing was probably the best thing Sora had heard this entire day.

"So…" Kate smiled as she sat down next to her patient and opened her bag "Ken tells me you fainted today."

"Yeah…" Sora mumbled, embarrassedly

"Hard practice?"

"No…we were only warming up. It wasn't such a big deal." The suspicious look the young doctor gave her convinced her that, on the contrary, it was very much a big deal. Sora bit her lip-had she really done something wrong?

Kate didn't attempt at small talk as she checked her vitals and took her temperature. Then, she asked Sora to describe her exactly what she'd been doing lately, starting from last night all the way to her losing consciousness, as she took a blood sample. The starlet didn't think all this was necessary, but obediently narrated through the events from the past hours and ignored the sharp pinch when Kate inserted the needle. To her credit, Sora admitted sleeping with her hair wet and standing around without getting dressed for a while, but didn't say why she omitted to do something so important.

The doctor listened and nodded, then took the vial up and looked at it carefully.

"You didn't eat today either, didn't you?" Kate noted after a while

"Umm…yes, I think so." Sora said, not sure where this was going "How did you know?"

"The sample I just took is very dark. This only happens when the person has not eaten. I wouldn't know for sure until I test this, but I don't think there is anything to worry. You could've caught a cold last night, then forgot to take breakfast, and when you stood up too abruptly, you got too dizzy and passed out. Waking up in the middle of a storm didn't help either." The doctor shook her head as she gathered her things up "You just need to eat something sweet and lie down for a few minutes, and you'll be as good as new. I suppose there is no way I can convince you to take a day off."

"Oh, no! I can't! I've made everyone wait for too long already. And Cathy-san's come to see me, I can't just…"

"I know, I know." Kate laughed "That's why I didn't suggest this in the first place. But to omit breakfast…for a person who needs as much energy as you do, Sora-san, it's a little unusual for you to do something like that. Is there something bothering you?"

"Nothing at all." Was the cheery answer, as Sora got on her legs, bowed and apologized for the inconvenience. Then, after seeing Kate off, she munched down on a chocolate, and went back to practice….and apologizing in her head the whole time.

She'd never considered lying an issue because…well…she didn't lie. But how could she tell Kate-san? How could she even start to tell her what she felt when she was still trying to explain it to herself? From Leon's strange behavior to the stealing of the locket. From the Valentine's Day blowup to the shop they had spotted on the beach. From the haunting melodies to Allegro…Sora shook her head and took a deep breath as she walked into the practice room.

* * *

Everyone jumped at the sight of her, but she was quick to pull off the "didn't eat, got up too fast" excuse, thus getting most of the people off her back. Unfortunately, Mia and Anna wouldn't settle for such a convenient response.

"But you looked so pale!"

"And you PASSED OUT!"

"How can you look so calm?!" Both yelled at the same time

"No, really, guys, I'm fine!"

"Sure she is!" Cathy to the rescue "Let's act already!"

"Ah…oh…yes…sorry for the inconvenience!" Sora babbled as everyone prepared. After all, there was no point of crying over spilled milk. She would have to do her best and put up an act that would convince them that everything was alright….Both on and off the stage.

* * *

Cathy crossed her legs and popped her chin on her fist. Many people underestimated the power of the pose, and she wasn't going to let herself become one of them. This was her favorite one because it showed both reserve and careful, professional attention. Her emotions couldn't slip and her mind was razor sharp, so that her personal opinion wouldn't affect her work. It also kept the actors in check, keeping them on their toes and encouraging them to do their best. So far, it hadn't failed her once.

Which was why she was so surprised at the performance she saw today. Nothing was wrong in terms of acrobatic skill (or as Mia said), and as far as the acting went, it was pretty incredible as well. The depth of the emotions when Helena and Hermia confronted was absolutely amazing, and though Sora was still a little unpolished, her skills had considerably improved. Layla, on the other hand….

"STOP!" that shout alone was enough to immobilize everything in the room. The four acrobats landed softly on the ground, Leon's hands coming up to cross in front of his chest and Sora biting her lip, both acting on impulse as they waited for their share of scolding. This time, however, Cathy was going for another pair.

"Layla, I want you to come here and look at this recording. No, LOOK AT IT!" although they should've already gotten used to the producer's violent mood swings, the entire room was dead-quiet. Then, Layla bent in the waist and studied the video of what they'd been doing seconds ago, a scowl coming across her beautiful features. However, the obvious dissatisfaction with her work did nothing to stop what was coming on.

"How can you call this a performance? At one point you're a sweet angel, and in the other you're a harpy. And what's with those glances you keep throwing around. I can see you're frowning, but why does the audience have to see it? You're turning Hermia into some demon-like character. One that only ACTS! This may be an interesting concept, Layla, but IT DOESN'T WORK FOR THE PLAY!" as Cathy went on with full force, pointing at the screen and gesturing to illustrate her anger, Sora snuck a peek at Leon. She nearly had a heart attack when she saw him looking back, but refused to faint again and bravely smiled at him.

And then he smiled back.

Her face fell.

I must've died, Sora thought wildly as she struggled into some semblance of composure. I must've died and gone to Hell. That's the only reasonable explanation for this! Oh, why, why, why couldn't she have a normal torture? Surely there was a rack free somewhere! Or a trip through an endless desert without water! Anything was better than to have Leon look at her this way, and smile this way, and she didn't even know why! Oh, Gods, she was going to have an arrhythmia.

While she quickly looked away and pretended to listen to what Cathy was saying, Leon remained completely indifferent and kept his eyes on her the whole time. Quite frankly, he was at loss with his partner's strange behavior, but with what was going on lately, it wouldn't have surprised him to learn that she was intimidated by him. Yesterday, he hadn't spoken to her for the entire practice, even though he knew it wasn't her fault that Yuri was acting like a jerk (it was his), then acted like a jealous lover (that he was) and treated her as if she was his property (which she wasn't). He didn't need Casanova's inner sense for women to know that he had angered her (though his track record could've been comparable).

So that was why her latest feats (a.k.a. fainting in his arms and avoiding eye contact until it was strictly necessary) weren't supposed to be that much of a surprise. But really, looking like he'd confessed killing someone just because he smiled…He was only trying to amend himself for yesterday…And besides, she'd seen him smile plenty of times-it wasn't like it was that much of a shock. He'd changed considerably since they performed in 'Swan Lake', and, hopefully for the better. He was now more sociable than before, and he'd gone further than he had in three years since he was with her.

Was it still not enough? Or perhaps there was another part of the equation?

He glared at Yuri, who was trying to ignore the part of Cathy's rant that was directed towards him. The Frenchman's eyes narrowed-maybe he had convinced her after all. Sora wasn't the girl to do something rash just because someone sweet-talked her, but…maybe she slept on it, and his rash behavior only helped her to decide in Yuri's favor. After all, what woman wanted to be associated with a guy who only showed some sort of emotion to her on stage?

And it wasn't just love. Leon knew well enough that love wasn't something that hit you and made you fly. It was friendship, respect, common interests and almost always-physical attraction; it was the way you wanted to be with that special person, because they made your day worthwhile, and your inability to sleep because only their voice soothed you down; it was the risk you're willing to take for that person, and the things you're giving up for their sake; it was the pain and turmoil you go through even though a 'thank you' is more than you could expect in return. It was the joy you feel when, in reality, that person feels just the same.

How could you just 'love' someone, if you share none of these things with them? How could you bear someone who doesn't show any of these towards you?

His fists clenched. This wasn't going to happen. Yuri wouldn't win…Sora was and would remain as his partner, even if it killed him!

"TAKE A BREAK!" Cathy yelled the last sentence of her speech "I'm coming back on Sunday and if I don't see improvement, I'll make Kalos cancel this production! Honestly, Layla, I'm terribly disappointed in you. As for the rest…" she turned her eyes towards the other main characters who froze dead immediately "…I don't want to tell you the same things, so I'll just be blunt. Sora, whatever you've been doing to get some emotion out of you, keep it up. Leon, don't be so predictable. Yuri, whatever problem you and Layla are having, fix it! Practice is over!"

* * *

The bad thing about being loved by everyone was that they became too worried. After general practice, all they did was some light training and rehearsing the most important parts. But overall, the day wasn't very productive. What Cathy had said was true-in terms of technique, they were flawless. In terms of acting, they sucked. And the issues that these problems involved were not something they could work out while on the trapeze.

Thus they took more time to read the script and look over recordings of "Midsummer Night's Dream", played by different companies. And more people had the chance to ask Sora if she was feeling alright.

It soon became innerving and the starlet zoned out. Her eyes lingered through the room and soon rested on her partner. Leon was looking over some scene with one of Cathy's assistants, frowning as the woman explained something to him. Well, struggling to explain, since he was mesmerizing her again, but…well, it couldn't be helped, right.

Not for the first time that day (and probably the last either), she became mesmerized and hurried to look away. Leon always had it about him to attract the women. Even when he didn't try to.

Sora tried to think of happier things, when Dio walked into the room. That alone was enough to have Anna forget all her worries and for a few minutes, the two love birds just rejoiced in their reunion. The red-haired starlet smiled sweetly, like a mother who watches children play. Apparently, Anna's charm had already worked, because Dio-san looked very much happy to see her. Then, he pulled away from her embrace, kissed her hand and asked her something. Her response was to grab him and kiss him senseless.

As she watched the action proceed, Sora wondered briefly if it didn't tickle when you breathed through the nose while kissing. It was either that or the organism suddenly not needing air that explained why neither Dio, nor Anna tried to pull away. Maybe there wasn't a force in the world to set them apart….was it because of the charm or simply because of them? Mia screamed that they get a room, and the comedian pulled away to say back something cheeky. However, Sora didn't hear it. In fact, she didn't hear what Mia's indignant response was, because her eyes fixed on Dio. She couldn't move. She couldn't react. She couldn't even breathe, damn it! All because when looking at the man's expression, Sora suddenly understood why Leon had been smiling lately like a cat on a canary diet.

_Leon was getting laid!_

Her cheeks immediately heated and she stared at her hands in horror. No! How could she think that? As if having inappropriate thoughts about her partner alone wasn't enough, now she was making suppositions about his private life? How sick was that? But who could that be? Her eyes immediately shot up, looking at Leon and Cathy's assistant. Surely…no, this was not right! She was just imagining silly things because she listened to May for too long! But before she could put a reign on her emotions, she was staring at them again, more intensely, more carefully.

She measured them-his behavior and her reactions, the glances he stole and the comments she made, his body language and her figure, all trying to find out the answer to her question-Could they really be lovers? Could that woman possibly have what it took to win Leon-san's heart?

Her figure was voluptuous indeed, well pronounced curves and fine skin. Her hair was beautiful corn silk and she had pretty blue eyes. She giggled and blushed a lot, but girls always did that around Leon. On his part, he didn't seem to show the same impatience towards her as he did towards Sora. He nodded and listened, instead of ignoring her. He even looked at her, and his expression was the one of a person in rapt attention, not the one of distaste and annoyance he pulled around everyone else.

In seconds, Sora felt herself burn up again. _What was he doing with a woman like her?_ He continuously made people feel inferior to him, as if associating himself with them would be a terrible blow on his career, and here he was actually getting himself involved with a simple assistant. Mia probably worked ten times better than her, and she dressed like a…a…a woman without shame! Sora's eyes ran over her body again with distaste. Short skirt that showed off her legs, low cut blouse so that her cleavage was on proud display…humph! She'd never dress like this, never! If she were to impress a man…

Her thought came to a screeching halt and she realized what she'd been thinking.

_OH, gods,_ she sobbed inwardly as she buried her head in her hands, what was happening to her?! Not only was she making presumptuous assumptions about her partner's love life, now she was throwing dirt at some innocent woman who happened to be nearby?! What was next?!

"Sora? Sora!" she looked up and saw Ken lean over her, a worried expression on his face. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." She answered cheerfully

"You don't look alright."

That wasn't a question. It was a statement. Suddenly, Sora felt like boiling over with rage-it was almost 3 PM and everyone had managed to ask her this ridiculous question at least a dozen times each! They were treating her like a brat! Instead of acting out their support quietly, they had to treat her like she couldn't take care of herself.

"Didn't I already tell you I'm fine?!" the words left her mouth before she could stop them, and apparently, she'd said it very loudly, because all conversation in the room suddenly died and everyone looked at her. Including Leon and the buxom vixen next to him.

"Sora…" Ken swallowed "You're just very red. I…you…erm…"

"Sora, you fainted today!" Mia reproached her "How can you expect us to be calm when you confessed you didn't eat and…"

"I said I forgot to eat!" She cried, and suddenly rose to her feet. Her chair fell on the floor thanks to the rash movement. "But I'm better! Would I be still standing if I wasn't?!"

"Sora, we…." Ken began, but there was no stopping her now

"I don't believe you guys!" Sora exclaimed, and to everyone's shock and surprise, they actually saw tears pooling in the corners of her eyes "After all this time, you still have to doubt me? I…I went so far! I accomplished the Angel's Act and the Legendary Maneuver, I became one of the best performers of this stage when I had nothing, and you still doubt me?! Just because I made a mistake, a simple, tiny mistake anyone of you could've done, you're treating me as if I can't be trusted!"

Everybody stared at her, dumbstruck. Her sides were burning and, judging by the wetness on her cheeks, she was crying as well. But for the first time, she didn't care. It was too much-this play, Yuri, Leon, everything! She felt like she was being suffocated. Before anyone could stop her, Sora turned on her heel and ran.

* * *

She didn't know how she got to the city. The next few hours were a blur. All Sora could remember was throwing on a pair of sweatpants and a jersey and grabbing her coat before storming out. She remembered walking by stores and stores, but never seeing anything in particular. Finally, the cold pang in her legs told her that she needed to rest, and Sora finally settled on a small bench in the center of the city.

So now what? Sora had asked herself that question again and again, and ever reaching an adequate response. Naturally, she couldn't stay where she was. Everybody would worry and would come looking for her, sooner or later, and all her things were at the dorms anyway…but going there to face them after acting like some hormonal teenager blowing up in the face of her parents…she'd regretted everything she said almost immediately, but back then she was too nervous, too emotional, to apologize properly and stop this disaster in the making.

Maybe you should add "too jealous to the list as well", a treacherous little voice in her head called and she buried her face into her hands again. What was going on there? It wasn't like she hadn't seen women swoon over Leon before. And she wasn't his girlfriend to care either.

Still…what if she wanted to be? Sora looked up from her hands and stared at the steadily darkening sky. This wasn't the first time she was thinking about her handsome partner in such a way, but her emotions had never been with such a…violent intensity. Truth to be told, she'd never seriously thought Leon could love her back if she allowed herself to be in love with him.

_Look at the facts_, Reason told her,_ Leon doesn't exactly have the best history with women. He's gone through dozens of partners in three years, and they all quit on their own. It's hardly because none of them couldn't fit his expectations._

Sora frowned and tried to fight the supposition. Surely, with what happened to him…

_Do you honestly think that in the whole world, only YOU had the skill and potential to complete the Angel's Act? Do you think that there never was a woman with enough power and determination to do it?_ Logic continued mercilessly,_ no, it's more likely that none of them wanted to be with him. Face it-Leon has all the makings of a serial seducer, and the advantage of having the one thing that others don't-a credible story of a tragic past that excuses all their offences._

No, no, no! He wasn't like that! He couldn't be like that! They were partners for nearly a year, and he'd never, ever done anything that would suggest he wanted to pursue a romantic relationship. He was just aloof and quiet and reserved. And he'd lost his sister, how was he supposed to deal with it! Shrug it off like an old coat and move on like it wasn't a big deal?! That would make him even a worse person than if he used his past as an excuse to keep to himself.

_If you are wise_, Reason stated finally, _you will not fall in love with Leon Oswald._

Sora huffed and got up on her feet, then started walking to get her blood running. Well maybe she didn't want to be wise. She didn't want people to find her predictable and decide that they could use her as a doormat. It was her life, after all! How was she supposed to find the one for her if she was too afraid to step out beyond her porch?

She passed a small park, where a group of kids were playing baseball. Sora paused in front of the screen of a large showroom and looked at the names of the streets, trying to guess her location and calculate how far it was to her bus stop. However, her musings were interrupted when she saw a flash of silver, and immediately after that, a tall man, clad in black, rushing towards her. She didn't have time to wonder as to what this was all about, because milliseconds later she heard a whooshing sound right next to her ear and then-the sharp tinkle of shattered glass and the loud, piercing cry of an alarm.

* * *

A/N-The rating's changed...I hope all of you know what that means *sighs dramatically* wish me luck!

Oh, and...has anyone watched Shaman King of Yu-gi-oh? I've kinda started a freaky little crossover and I'm looking for people to rope into reading it (teehee).

Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this,

F.S.


	10. Chapter 10

Baseball had to be declared an extreme sport. That's what Sora thought when her ears stopped ringing and she became aware of her surroundings. Or, more importantly, of Leon hovering over her asking her if she was alright.

Due to what had just happened, and the fact that it was freezing outside, the usual blush didn't reach her cheeks. Leon had spotted her before she had seen him, and thankfully, that drew him to her, giving him a few precious seconds to realize what was about to happen and prevent the wrong from happening. He'd managed to knock her down just as the ball shattered the store screen, and managed to cover her up when the glass shattered and fell on both of them.

She was alright, he knew that. Her tiny form trembled in his arms, but she was alright. Actually…she was rather struggling for a breath since he was pressing down on her with all of his weight, but he was so relieved that for a second he forgot that they were just partner…friendly and indifferent colleagues. So he got up from her and asked her to verify what he was hoping to be true, as his eyes scanned her body for any particular injuries. He himself felt a small pain in his back, but that wasn't going to bother him now…

To his surprise, he soon heard the roar of the ambulance siren, and helped his partner up. Other than the extreme fright, she seemed fine, but her calves and heels were bleeding-the result of all the running she'd done today and his inability to protect her entirely. Leon frowned angrily, and as they waited for the ambulance to arrive (as they couldn't get out of the strange cluster of people around them), he picked her up so that she wouldn't have to press her weight on her injured legs.

During that time, and then their ride to the ER, both were quiet. Not a surprise when it came to Leon, since silence was a second nature to him, but Sora didn't even make an attempt at conversation, which was a rather worrying fact.

"Twice in one day, Sora!" Kate exclaimed as she rushed out to greet them

"I'm fine." She said weakly

"Please stop lying." The doctor said, and her words were enough to make the red-head cringe with discomfort. For God's sakes, she hadn't meant for it to turn into such a fiasco. But one look at Kate had her realize her mistake-her friend wasn't unhappy with her, she was downright angry. Sora felt like shrinking into some deep pit, and made herself as small in Leon's arms as possible.

She had to apologize. For lying to Kate-san, for screaming at her friends and for acting so inappropriately…and she had to thank her partner for saving her. But…she glanced up at him as he waited for the doctors to prepare the examination table for them, he didn't seem like he wanted to talk. Now that she thought about it, he hadn't spoken to her at all other than to verify if she was still in one piece.

Sora bowed her head in shame. Well, it wasn't like she could blame him. They still hadn't talked after their little incident yesterday afternoon, other the few lines they had exchanged before her, quite embarrassing, faint. But then again, when had Leon shown her that he was like everyone else? Sometimes he acted as if he was from another world.

* * *

"Hold it!"

"Wait…"

"I said HOLD IT, YOU IDIOT! Do you want me to fall and break a leg? I assure you, I can sue you for more than you can make in your entire lousy lifetime if you hurt me."

"I swear to whatever you want, May-san, I'm not trying to kill you! Please wait until I steady the ladder."

"If you don't hurry up, somebody might see us!" the Chinese woman countered as she started climbing the said ladder towards the second floor terrace.

"Nobody would bother looking if you would just keep your voice down." Ken mumbled

"WHAT'S THAT?!" she screamed, and to the boy's surprise, she had already swung her legs over the railing and was safe from falling off.

"NOTHING!" he yelled back, before trying the ladder for himself. Were all women that weird when it came to their secret obsessions or it was only May?

His ascend was much slower, both because he was heavier and because he didn't possess May's acrobatic agility. However, by the time he was safe on the terrace, she still hadn't entered the room, and was fumbling angry with the lock of the terrace door. When he came closer, he realized that she was holding a hair pin!

"You've got to be kidding me!" he said, causing her to yelp and jump high in the air. However, the fright was only brief and nothing could save him from the incoming torrent of yells.

"What are you doing!" she screeched "You scared the living daylights out of me! What if I were standing on the edge of a cliff!? I would've died!"

"One, we are not standing on the edge of a cliff, and two, if you were, I obviously couldn't accompany you." Ken didn't have time to marvel his newly found quickness of thought because he gestured towards her previous occupation "You can't open a lock with a hairpin! I know it happens into movies, but this isn't some Mission Impossible!"

"I used to open closets like this all the time." May huffed, pointedly ignoring him by picking up from where she had left off "Way before I saw M.I."

"Still, this isn't some toy chest or a dressing-table. You can't just…" there was a sharp click and May slid the door open, grinning triumphantly "…open it so easily?"

"You should put more efforts into security." She said, cheekily, before stepping into the apartment. Ken couldn't help but agree. Next time Kalos asked him for any suggestions on improving the dorms, he would tell him to put better locks. Ones that opened real hard. And probably back-up ones too. People couldn't leave their precious possessions in a badly guarded place. "Are you coming?" the woman's voice resonated from inside and he reluctantly followed in.

The room was just as he remembered it. The boxes of confetti and chocolates were gone, making everything look even emptier, and the floor made a treacherous creak under their legs every time they moved. May was looking around, awestruck to finally be in Leon's room, but Ken couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that this situation would somehow turn around against them. If the man in question returned (a rather unlikely possibility since he was instructed not to come back until he found Sora), they would pay greatly for invading his personal space.

Such fears did not reach May, who was already walking towards the desk and was ruffling over its countenance.

"What are you waiting for?" She scolded him "Check the kitchen while I cover the bedroom."

"I…I don't want to."

"What?" she turned around, black eyes wide with shock "Why not?"

"I…I have a bad feeling about this. What if he returns? What if someone hears us? What if we're discovered? We've already suffered a lot from your impulsiveness." Ken said, crossing his arms in front of his chest in an attempt to look more serious and intimidating. Only, in his case, it was more like the try of a stubborn child to hold back tears. Literally.

May, however, refused to be touched, and shrugged in a blasé manner before turning her attention back to the desk. "Suit yourself then."

"What? You're not going to try and encourage me into a life of crime?"

"Whatever." He could almost hear her roll her eyes "It's not like your doing nothing would save you if we get caught. If it helps you sleep at night, don't help me. I could've just entered here by climbing the water pipe. But…" she threw him a cheeky glance "Don't expect me to use my super-breaking-in skills to let you into Sora's room."

"As if I would!" he exclaimed "Unlike you, I have respect for other people's private space."

"Other people doesn't include Leon." She huffed, flipping over a book.

And after a few minutes of watching her rummage through his personal things, he found himself following her lead. After all, this was all for Sora's sake, and the future they would undoubtedly have together. Strangely, being stranded with May in an island of social isolation had given him enough courage to not only wish for a miracle, but believe in it. Surely, this was for the best-he and Sora were like two peas in a pod, both cheerful, easy-going and devoted to their jobs. Their life together would be bliss, and as soon as Leon was…ahem…made see that too, he would realize that he and May were also a match made in heaven. The Chinese acrobat was overly confident, but a little air couldn't harm Ken, who was so crushed by reality that it was painful to watch him.

It was a shame that whatever arguments they had in their future (apart from each other, naturally), they couldn't toss anything that would help their case in their way. Leon's apartment only held the basic necessities-table and chairs in the kitchen along with a stove and a few cupboards, another chair, a desk and bed in the other room. Impersonal, sterile…the only thing that proved that somebody lived there were the books and letters scattered about.

May peeked into the ones that were open and then checked the addresses of the other ones, careful to leave them as she found them lest he suspected the intrusion. Not like he would care, really-everything there was as dull as it could be. Announcements of incoming shows; invitations from former partners that he came on a premiere that were both pleading and cold at the same time; uniform letters from former couches who kept in touch with him; formal notes and letters of business…Either Leon was a busy man, or he didn't trust letters to carry his innermost feelings. With their luck, even if they found something, it would be in French.

"Honestly…" she mumbled, eyes roaming over the different papers, looking for something that would look conspicuous "Who uses snail mail anymore!"

An idea flashed through her mind wickedly and she looked over the drawers again. Leon HAD to have a laptop-Kalos had made sure that the top performers got one when the profits from Swan Lake came, and the bastard had to have used it, because…well, who could deny a free computer and access to the Internet. May herself had exhausted the limit given to her in a day when she first got hers. Sora, of course, had insisted that she didn't need one, and after many pointless discussions (how can anyone bear get a gift if the main star doesn't accept it), they had compromised on her swapping her decidedly more expensive one for Mia's. Not that their main play writer didn't have a better use for it, but…come on, who wouldn't use one?

The answer? Leon Oswald. May felt like eating her socks off when she found the package, hidden in the very bottom of a drawer behind a bundle of trash. The only proof that this man was real, too, because with his strange behavior she wouldn't have been surprised if he was as neat as a surgeon. She pulled out the box and opened it though, hoping to find it empty, or, better yet, containing some juicy little secret she could use to blackmail him with.

No such luck. The laptop lay in there, as if it had just been taken out of the store. Had he even unpacked it? The cables were carefully rolled on the side, but there were no traces on them, showing a continuous usage. Sighing, she was about to put it away when a flash of color made her look down again.

There. She carefully undid the safety straps and lifted it up, then smirked.

Underneath, there was a stack of pictures. Young people in the middle of a performance, some smiling, others didn't. Different costumes, colorings, hairstyles…one thing in common. Leon.

She went over all of them, quickly noticing the pattern-there was always a woman by his side, always tall, unrealistically beautiful in their revealing outfits, and always holding onto him possessively as they beamed towards the camera. So the Grim Reaper had a sentimental side to him? He did keep pictures of all the women he'd gone through (somehow, May hoped that it had been only in the way he was known for). She knew, of course, that she couldn't take them, but at least now she knew they existed. She recognized Emma on one of them, and there was a decided difference between the bitter harpy she'd met one year ago on the circus festival and the lovely, blooming young woman there.

May also noticed that in one of the packages reserved exclusively for cables, there was a small silver locket. Even before she pulled it out and examined it, she knew that it was the very same one Sora had brought back from their trip a few days ago. How it ended up in Leon's possession, she did not know, but the theories that she was having were better left unsaid

"Have you found anything yet?" Ken called from the kitchen. His counterpart embarrassedly stuffed the locked into the pocket of her jeans before returning the computer and the pictures back behind the pile of trash.

"No." she lied quickly "You?"

"Not really…"

"Then let's get out of here." She resolved, hoping that she didn't sound too angry. Ken emerged from the kitchen, a disbelieving look plastered on his face, but she only pulled him out of the apartment, after turning off the lights and locking the glass door again. The ladder, however, was gone, much to their displeasure.

"What the….What's the meaning of this?" she screeched while he paled like a dead man

"Oh, no! Somebody saw us! We're doomed!"

May huffed and stared out in the darkness, as if she expected to shoot killing looks at the perpetrator. However, that didn't happen and she quickly switched to thinking machine mode. They had to react quickly, otherwise they were going to get definitely caught. Swinging over to the other apartment was out of the question, since the dorm was probably locked already, and going back in wasn't a good idea.

"Ken…" she finally said "You're going to have to do something you're not supposed to do if you want out of here."

* * *

"There you go." All traces of bad humor had left Kate as she finished cleaning up the cuts on Leon's back. Despite the man's constant assurances that it was fine, she had insisted on removing the glass that was stuck in him, and he couldn't help but comply when Sora had also timidly suggested that he should submit to treatment. Since then, the young doctor had never stopped enjoying the annoyed and resigned faces that her patent was pulling while she treated him. Apparently, his little partner was rubbing off on him and he wasn't too happy about it.

Something about an annoyed Leon reminded her of an angry wolf cub-it showed its teeth and growled, but it couldn't do much damage and in the end looked incredibly cute. Not that the Frenchman was short or covered with soft, fluffy fur, but the look on his face was pretty close to it. Poor guy-he didn't like it when somebody controlled him.

She pulled the curtain that separated the room, removing the semblance of privacy the two partners had had as they had received treatment. Sora was still lying on the cot, covered by the thick blanket, her eyes closed in what could've been mistaken as a doze, but Kate knew better than that. While she had bandaged her legs, and upon gaining her reassurance that Leon was still outside, the young starlet had gushed forward about the things that had bothered her lately, from her partner's behavior to Yuri's strange offer to the real reason she fainted today (the former not without blushing like a tomato).

The young doctor had listened with a peculiar kind of bemusement, but had been completely serious when she spoke.

"Firstly, Sora, I have to congratulate you for having the courage to talk to me about this. But, surely, you must be more careful when you're talking to strangers on the Internet."

"Yes. I know that…I guess I got too carried away."

"With that aside, you should know that your body's reactions are neither shameful, nor irregular. For a girl your age, it's a little strange, but if you've never been attracted to someone…" she made an off-hand gesture "Well, it doesn't matter. But it is important that you don't panic and try and live with these emotions. Eventually, they will settle and become a part of your routine."

"But what about…ugh…Leon-san. And…Allegro."

"Sora…this may seem strange coming from a woman like me, but at your age, one doesn't generally know what they want. With a few notable exceptions, you aren't any different. You mustn't embark on anything hastily, and you shouldn't jump to conclusions all of the sudden. So…as far as Leon is concerned, you should not mistake love for curiosity. And as for Allegro…I would advise you to give it up. It's rare that the people we meet so suddenly on the Internet are with good intentions, and by the way you describe him, he's either too good to be true or…simply dangerous."

"Of course." She nodded, although there was some misery leaking through her façade. Luckily, that was when she went to invite Leon in to mend him, so Sora was left alone to curl up and think under the peaceful disguise of sleep.

* * *

However, when Kate left them to see if there were any spare rooms that could accommodate them for the night (with Leon pointing out that even if they returned to the dorms, they would be locked up), she couldn't put it off anymore. Slowly sitting up in the cot, she wasn't too surprised to see her partner staring at her questioningly.

"I…" thinking that it was best to get it over with quickly, she gushed "I'm sorry. I've acted very foolishly. Please forgive me." Bowing her head repeatedly as she did so. Leon's reply was a slightly quirked eyebrow.

"What should I forgive you for?" he asked, halting the stream of words and making her look up "As far as I know, you have not done anything to offend me."

"I haven't, but…" she blinked owlishly "Aren't you angry at me? For…screaming today?"

"As I recall, your…outburst was not directed towards me exclusively." He said calmly "It is not to me that you should be apologizing. IF you think you should be apologizing at all."

If? As if seeing the question in her eyes, Leon sighed and elaborated:

"I'm not angry at you for yelling today, Sora. Actually, other than a few inaccuracies in your speech, I hardly detected anything that was untrue or said in the wrong place. You are under a lot of pressure daily and it doesn't help when people freak out around you. I find it rather healthy to let your feelings go every once in a while."

"Wow…" he heard herself say "That almost sounds hypocritical coming from you."

To her surprise, he merely chuckled "I can see how you got confused here! However, there is a difference between staying indifferent and forcing a false expression on your face just so that everyone else wouldn't worry. One is tolerable. The other is simply masochistic. In any case…" Leon leaned forth on his elbows "…I am not the one you should be apologizing to. I'm sure that no matter what they do, your friends would much rather know how you feel than have you deceive them with a false appearance. They were very worried."

Sora stared at her feet in despair.

"I know. I just…I wish I could be better, but…"

Leon sighed and she looked up to see him staring at her again, with that weird, singular look that always made butterflies flutter into her stomach and her legs to malfunction. It took her a few seconds to realize that he had posed a question. She asked him to repeat it.

"Why should you be better? Or, maybe I should say how do you think you could be better?"

"Umm…" Ok, what was it about Leon that always made her feel inadequate and/or stupid whenever he asked a question? How hard was it to answer? Breathe in, breathe out, use your vocal cords and mouth to form the words that your brain just came up with. Easy… "To chicken with love…"

Ok, maybe not that easy.

"By…being a stronger performer and not making them worry?"

Leon huffed.

"You mean by acting perfect. Should I really tell you that this is a very wrong logic, Sora?" What was it about him saying her name like that? Had his manner of speaking changed in the last few months? Sure, there wasn't the hint of distaste laced with it now, but he hardly called someone by their name (often settling with 'you!' in its place) that it had become a cause for celebration when it did happen.

Or grief…depending on the situation.

Since he didn't get an answer from her, he went on: "You may think that being the Kaleido Star makes you different than others. Well, it doesn't." Sora blinked owlishly, startled by his rash tone "You just have a lot of attention pointed at you. You're not perfect, but it's the people's expectations that make you obliged to be. It may be harder if you fail than it would be to others, but that doesn't make you less human. As such, you make mistakes. It's painful, but not unforgivable."

"You've had a lot of time to thing about this, haven't you?" she mumbled, but he didn't answer because Kate-san walked back into the room.

* * *

A/N-Hope you liked it.


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

Leon considered himself lucky. Not in terms of romance, mind…his love life could be called disastrous at best. But really, given what had happened to him, he was lucky to live in a standstill for just three years (most people never snapped out of it), and had managed somehow to get out of all the messes he'd concocted without getting sued or arrested. But tonight, everything was going for the worse.

Since America was in a wholly different climatic region than France, England, and Europe in general, winter there was much, much softer. Cape Mary in particular was in one of the most southern regions, automatically making it one of the places where you got 300 sunny days per year and one snowfall per century. Tonight, in particular, the season with which he was so often associated with had decided to manifest itself with a cruel, lashing rain. And, thanks to Kate's stingy boss, he and Sora couldn't spend the night in the hospital.

Since the storm had cut off the power from parts of city and sabotaged the telephone connections, calling Kalos or Sarah was pointless. Kate's suggestion that they use her apartment was also overruled since they couldn't find it without her help and both were horrible with directions. Finally, Leon left Sora in the hospital bookshop so that he could go out and find them a place to stay the night, this being the only logical solution to the question. The chairs in the waiting room were, after all, not that comfortable, and they needed rest.

Sora watched him pull his shredded coat over his head and tried her hardest not to worry. She had gotten the easier side of this-her injuries confided her to a frozen recovery of at least three days, meaning that she was to sit or lay down as much as possible. Kate came over every five minutes to check on her and apologize once again for the fact that they couldn't spare rooms, until the flux of victims from car crashes and fallen trees became strong enough to keep her in the ER constantly.

The lady that ran the bookshop, on the other hand, wasn't busy at all, and spent her time talking to Sora. Apparently, she was a great fan of the stage and for some time occupied her attention with telling her how wonderful Swan Lake had been. Sora smiled and thanked and signed autographs for her and her sister, but soon enough, dread settled over her and she kept glancing over her shoulder to see if Leon would show up.

Just as she was flipping through a book she contemplated calling Jerry and hailing a search. Luckily, the embarrassment was spared to her because he practically materialized next to her and said:

"I've found a place."

Sora stared at him for a full minute, blinking owlishly and trying to assimilate the meaning of his words. Strangely, one trip through the rain was enough to strip a person of any princely appearance he might have, and yet Leon looked as handsome as ever. She gulped, trying to disciple the knot in her throat and croaked:

"Really?"

"Yes. It's not too far from here…" he replied in his customary half-voice, and Sora could swear that she saw a passing nurse faint. "But the rain seems to be getting stronger, so we better hurry."

"Alright." She made to put the book away, but apparently the shopkeeper wouldn't have it. She hurried to their side and bade Sora to take it, as a thanks for the wonderful show she had made. The girl politely refused, and in between the lady's insistence that she keep the book and the starlet's insistence that she paid properly for it, Leon felt a headache coming up. And one point, he dug through his pockets, found some tickets Mia always gave them to carry around, and gave them as payment. The shopkeeper, however, didn't skip a beat and said it was too much.

In the end, Sora found herself stuck with the entire trilogy (or teratology, she wasn't sure) and was following Leon to the exit.

"Shall we?" he asked, and before she could answer, he lifted her over his shoulder and practically sprinted through the street, leaving nothing but shimmering puddles and startled by passers along the way.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Cathy was contemplating the steadily growing number of empty glasses on the table and wondered if the human body was apt to carry so much alcohol. Come to think about it, she'd never really seen Layla consume more than a glass of champagne when she celebrated a successful debut. Naturally, she had some wine to go with her dinner, but overall, she didn't think her friend as a particularly strong drinker.

They were in the bar of one of the "Hamilton" hotels-a brightly lit, classy room on the roof of one of the highest buildings in the city. The furniture in the room was scarce, so that there was enough room for those who wanted to dance to the soft jazz music that a live band was playing from the corner; however, it was tastefully picked out, all clear lines and soft colors. Layla had picked it because partly because it was so expensive there was no way that the paparazzi would bother her with unnecessary shots, and partly because she wouldn't have to pay for her drinks.

She'd said that tonight was a "Girls night out", thus convincing her friend to join her, but from the scarce lines they had exchanged during the two hours they spent there, it was becoming clear that Layla had other things on her mind. Cathy wondered if it would be safe to stop her. Paparazzi or not, having the daughter of your boss throw a fit wasn't something people were used to see around here and it would spread around fast.

"That'll be enough." The told the water who came with another round of drinks "Please take these things away and bring us two cups of coffee."

"Coffee?" Layla huffed "At eleven in the evening? Are you sure you're not getting laid, Cathy?"

"Make that a pot of coffee, don't bring sugar of cream, and a glass of water with a lot of ice." The producer corrected herself and sent the man away, before shooting her friend a very stern look. "Now I don't know what's gotten into you, but I won't let you make a fool of yourself tonight."

Luckily, Layla was one of the people who got terribly quiet when drunk. Of course, that made you extremely weary around them, and cautious not to make any sudden movements, but overall, she didn't make a scene. However, there was something so miserable in the way she held herself that Cathy almost felt pity for her friend.

"Well, it ain't like you're not enjoyin' dis…" Layla slurred as she braced herself on an elbow "Mebbe you're plannin' on how to take advantage o'me."

"Broken hearted AND drunk." Cathy shook her head "Not the best of combination."

"You stoop to it all d'time." The blond blinked wearily, as if she was going to fall asleep.

"I also talk." Luckily, the water brought the requested items. "Now, I'll listen to the woes and miseries of your current love life, but not until you're coherent enough to form your own thoughts."

While Layla obeyed, Cathy breathed a sigh, both of relief and worry. She herself never mixed work with pleasure, though in her line of business that was very hard. Relationships alone were difficult, but the pressure added by excessive media attention made them especially strained. Love…love turned sex into an art, but it was a luxury not everyone could afford. To some extent, she agreed that looking for an intimate partner amongst your colleagues was generally for the best, because they knew how to deal with the difficult moment, but if that relationship came to an end, the consequences on an entire production could be dire.

Just like now. Gods, just by looking she could tell that there was something seriously wrong between Yuri and her friend. Of course, she'd been informed of the Valentine's Day Disaster, but she'd thought that it was nothing, a minor quarrel, nothing but one of those customary fights couples had that always resulted in a passionate make-up. Clearly beneficial, although in this case it seemed to have gotten out of hand.

But how could it? Yuri was an ambitious prick, but he clearly valued Layla more than just a lover. Trying to stop her from performing the Legendary Grand Maneuver with a fractured shoulder and going generally going against her partnering with someone as inexperienced as Sora, out of fear of her sustaining injury, did say a lot. On top of all, Layla had forgiven his greater offences in the past-mistakes that he'd sorely regretted and for which he tried to make up. Why would something as simple as a forgotten Valentine's Day cause such turmoil?

Layla cringed as the third shot of hot coffee/freezing water went down and Cathy finally deduced that she was sober enough to talk. "So what gives?"

"Why does it have to be something wrong?" the heiress asked, regaining her composure carefully

"Because you never drink. And you never involve my love life in the conversation unless yours is going downhill." The red-head flashed her a smile and leaned back on her chair "So spill. What has Yuri done?"

Layla's mood darkened again and she sighed, resting back on her chair. "Does it even matter?"

"Yes."

There was a heavy silence, and then she sighed. Cathy relaxed slightly as her friend reluctantly, but steadily told her about the problems she had, the returned gifts, the strange rumors flying around and Yuri's eagerness to be by Sora's side when she fainted today. By the end of the narrative, Layla's voice was slightly trembling, but she exhibited perfect self-control and kept it in check.

It surprised Cathy. Not the part about Yuri, she knew first hand how dumb some men were; but she really couldn't believe that Layla would actually consider Sora so clueless and underhanded as to accept such an offer. Surely, after having dealt with this particular side of Yuri's (and won against it), she couldn't have misunderstood the implications.

"So is this why you're so bothered? Because Yuri is acting like an ass?" Cathy shook her head "Sora is a good girl, Layla. I can't believe that she would purposely try to do something like that."

"She wouldn't. And yet I've got a feeling that he convinced her somehow."

"You rely too much on your gut, Layla. What happened to using that fabulous mind you have under all that blond hair? Didn't her behavior today prove your wrong?"

"But Yuri's confirms it. He's…he's…."

"And what if he does?" her friend taunted her "You won't be partners for one production! Given your performance today, it might even improve things."

"Damn it!" Layla hissed, her hand gripping the table almost dangerously "What games are you playing, Cathy?"

"You care about the stage, not your partner. So what if you go out with Leon? You've never been opposed to Sora's partnering with Yuri before."

"Because I was never…never…Cathy, I think I'm losing him. This…occurrence…and combined with everything he's done in the past two years…How can I not be worried? It turned out that the one I relied on most was a snake, whose sole purpose for performing was revenge!" she shook her head "I understand his reasons, but at some point, his behavior began to frighten even me."

She felt cold by just thinking about it…when they returned from their one month training for the Legendary Maneuver…when he'd greeted them….the mere state of him sent shivers down her spine. His crazy laugh, his tussled hair, his raging eyes had all nearly convinced her that he had gone mad, and then the tone of his voice when he told her that this would be her last performance…that Kaleido Stage would close in spite of everything she did…It had nearly undone her. She still couldn't decide what had made her keep her cool, raise her hand and slap him, and then tell him not to do something so unsightly in front of her. Maybe it was because she couldn't accept that the show would end before she said it would. Maybe she just didn't want anyone to discourage her just before her greatest triumph.

Or maybe after those years of being his partner and lover, she knew that deep down he was better than that and didn't want him to disgrace himself with such idiotic acts.

Yeah-RIGHT!

She'd managed off somehow. But this…him actually LEAVING her for Sora, the girl that was the closest thing to a best friend Layla ever had, the girl who had come to Cape Mary looking up to her and in the end had her idol looking up to her…She couldn't swallow it. What was more, Sora wasn't meant for Yuri. She had Leon. And despite everyone's conviction that the Grim Reaper only acted warmly towards his partner because he saw his sister in her, Layla saw it. The man simply adored her, and if Yuri thought she'd let this match made in Heaven go to waste, he was serious wrong.

And she told Cathy that. The woman gave her an appreciative nod, before saying:

"Just don't take Yuri too seriously, ok? Trust me, he'll think Sora and Leon a match made in Heaven just like you very soon. He's just being a guy."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Layla sighed, waving to the water for the bill

"It means that he doesn't necessarily think when he does something. He's just afraid."

"Of?"

"Look…you guys have had fights before, right?"

"Yes."

"And you've taken time outs before, no?"

"We have. What is your point?"

"Well, before, there wasn't any competition." She said "I mean, he knew he was the only one who could meet your requirements. Now, however, there is Leon, who, despite what you think about him and Sora, is very handsome, very talented, and very hot. He feels threatened and in an attempt to remind you that he is just as free to leave you as you are to leave him. In other words, he's trying to frighten you so that you would forgive him."

Layla's eyes narrowed. It made sense (a lot of it, actually), and normally, she would act like she should, a.k.a. go to him and tell him to stop acting stupid. However, whether it was the lingering intoxication from the alcohol or the still distinct fear of losing him, she felt extremely mad. And it wasn't because he wanted to use Sora to get what he wanted, oh no! It was because the bastard actually thought that SHE would stoop so low as to end this when it was clearly his fault for not being able to GROW UP! Why did she have to be the one apologizing? Why should she always be the adult? Suddenly, she realized why she was so angry with him-because he was just not mentally mature enough to make this relationship progress.

And she wouldn't have that!

"I see…" She smirked, throwing Cathy into a brief panic "Then perhaps I should consider that possibility."

* * *

Sora peeled the front cover open and started to read. She wasn't in the mood to do so, but it was the only thing that could keep her from falling asleep.

Apparently, bad luck tonight consisted in the fact that the only vacant hotel that was close to the hospital, accepted pay in credit and wasn't some posh place teenagers used to bang in was the railway station. They provided accommodation for people who would make transfers, and it was decent enough. However, decent enough only covered the basic requirements, a.k.a. some furniture and a floor. The walls were painted in a killed shade of gray, the windows were smoked and the bed made an ominous creaking noise whenever she moved. Somehow, she couldn't risk sleeping in it.

Her partner had preferred to take a chair. She hadn't asked him why he'd gotten only one room, but judging by how the night was going, neither would rest at all. His coat was swung over the side of the chair and he was using one sleeve to partially dry his hair. He seemed rather displeased with the whole situation but…who could blame him? She had attempted to apologize for the trouble, but he'd shot her one of those looks that had her quiet down immediately.

"Do you want a book?" she asked "You did pay for them…"

Leon shot one look at the cover, before saying courtly "You keep them."

Sora frowned. Just when had they reversed to one-liners again? Weren't they better than that? Surely, if not friends, they were equals. She was just about to give him a piece of her mind, when he continued: "Sorry. I didn't mean it to sound…I was just referring to the fact that I don't like this particular genre."

"What's wrong with it?" she turned it to give it a look. A girl and a boy in modern clothes, holding hands in front of the Eiffel Tower. Cute and totally innocent. "It's a novel, isn't it?"

"It is."

"What's so bad about it? I think it's rather cute."

"The plotline is too predictable." He replied mercilessly, causing her to cringe. "I personally find this particular style too surreal to be called a novel and too unadventurous to be a fairy tale. The characters are often too perfect to be true. On the whole, it's unrealistic and uninteresting."

Yes, Leon's bluntness sometimes clashed horribly with his perfect looks. Luckily for her, because it proved he was real, but it sometimes made her uneasy. "But life isn't always interesting. I've been a part of every single division of the Stage, not just a performer, and it takes many unsavory moments to make a great moment."

"Exactly." He nodded "But these books solely focus on the beauty of the triumph and overlook the depth of the fall. The bad moments in life are not always followed by good tidings. And not everybody gets a happy ending. Some of the things these…people say are impossible to happen. Just like their notion of love."

Her heart clenched. Did he really mean to say this? Did he honestly not believe in love?

"What is wrong with it?" she was fiddling with the corners of the book, opened it and closed it, her eyes flickering between the words as if the truth would drop out of somewhere and prove him wrong.

"Just about everything that's wrong with the books themselves. It's unreal." He shrugged

Unreal. The man thought love didn't exist…well, given the popular myth about men, it wasn't that surprising, if it wasn't Leon. As contradictory as it seemed, Sora really did believe that if Leon-san didn't know what love was, then all hope for mankind was lost. Yes, he was reserved, cold, unsavory and his actions sometimes made her doubt into his value for human life…his list of flaws could go on until the day after Judgment day, but if he had one virtue that outweighed them, it was his heart. The day she had caught him and Yuri fight, she had realized how deeply Sophie's death had wounded him.

Sora had lost both her parents and knew well enough how excruciating the pain was. Nothing, absolutely nothing could refill the void, and it had taken a lot of patience from both her and her aunt and uncle for her to regain a semblance of normality. But that was just the problem-even in her young age, she already had a goal to work towards, and she had had a loving family that was willing to support her through everything. Sophie had been Leon's only true family, and he really hadn't believed that her dream would come true. For her death to send him in a standstill for nearly three years (and possibly more), the depth of his feelings was something beyond her comprehension.

"You're unreal." She heard herself retort, and it was quite late to slap her palm across her face, because he had heard her already…but she did it anyway.

He gave her the amused/questioning look and waited for her to elaborate. Slowly, Sora gathered her wits (and voice, for that matter), and said:

"You're a mass of contradictions, Leon-san. You always talk like a sphinx and make people guess what's really on your mind, and right now, I don't know what to make of your behavior. How can you say that love is unreal, when you have surely felt it? Did you not care for anyone in your life? Don't you think of someone more often than of others? Do you not love…the stage?"

He blinked owlishly at her, as if to disciple some sort of spell cast on him. Then, comprehension dawned on his face when the meaning of her words sank in and he nodded. "You have a point. However, mine seems to have escaped you."

"Pardon?"

"I said that the notion of 'love' in these…examples for contemporary literature is unreal, not that love as a whole does not exist."

"But…"

"Just because someone with a name like…" he peeked at the cover again "…Marguerite-Ann-Ruth DeChaine tells you that love hits you like a ton of bricks all of the sudden and that it is the most elating experience in your entire lifetime doesn't mean that it is truth. Or, at least, the only way it can manifest itself. Love is a combination of many feelings, Sora. Respect, supportiveness, friendship at some occasions…It's not a bolt of lightening when you first lay your eyes on one person. Sometimes, you may not even think they'll mean something to you, but with time, you grow to appreciate them, and then realize that you may lose everything but that person's support and still be the happiest person alive. What do these books tell you? What story will they unravel before you? Life is a miracle and yet these books make it seem so shallow. It is unrealistic to think that love is all about such petty things as grand gestures and magical moments. Sometimes, changing for the sake of one person can be more of an adventure than whatever-people-write about."

For a while, the only sound that could be heard was the rain, the roar of the trains and rattle of wheels on the railway. Sora was sitting cross-legged on the bed, the book resting in her lap, her hands lying limply on her sides and a blank look on her face as she stared ahead of her. Certainly, she had to retort. She had to say something. There was a weak link in this entire logic and she knew that she could use it in her favor to win the argument. However, the speech had served its purpose-it had rendered her absolutely speechless.

Why? Because it had been unexpected, wholly simple, a little messy, incredibly long for a person who did not value eloquence like Leon, and…and every word of it had been absolute truth.

When she finally came to her senses, nothing had changed. The storm continued to rage outside, the room was still gloomy and Leon was still there, looking at her carefully, waiting for the conversation to pick up. She knew that there were no more ways to contradict him (come to think about it, she wasn't that much of a reader to throw herself into defending some book so vigorously), but did she have anything more to say?

"I see…" she finally said, and smiled in response to his slightly disbelieving expression. She really did. That was why he was so reserved, so calm, so composed. That was why he was always ready with a retort and hardly let his anger bring out the worse in him. That was why he fit so easily with her mood swings and seemed to balance her so well. Why he took trips in the rain today and carried her around all night, why he preferred to keep an eye on her instead of booking two rooms, why he was so easy with spending the night on a chair without getting a drop of sleep, why he didn't seem bothered with the entire situation. Because to him, that wasn't something exceptional. Because he took care of the ones he valued, no matter how close they were to him. Because he put his own interests aside for others, and thus saw things a lot more clearer than someone who used his own feelings as measure. "You're a very mature person, Leon-san."

Leon was still her antipod, and yet she couldn't rid herself of the feeling that essentially, they were the same. She didn't think she wanted to, either.

He gave her a slow, tired smile, before he tried coaxing her into getting some sleep. However, his partner insisted that she wasn't tired at all and countered him with the proposition that they read together and see if this book wasn't an exception. Leon opposed her for a while, but finally sat down on the edge of the bed and started reading over her shoulder as she opened the pages and settled the read down between them so that they could both see it clearly.

* * *

A/N-Sorry for any typos, guys, I hope they were not too eye-catching. So how did you like it? Leon's little speech was a little weird, no? Let me hear your opinions folks! Review!


	12. Chapter 12

He remembered the moments of their relationship with frightening clarity. Yuri knew that something like this was a symptom of a very, very serious illness, but like most people he ignored it until it was simply incurable.

As soon as he'd heard that Layla Hamilton planned to audition for Kaleido Stage, and not simply as a beginner acrobat, but as the star, he'd caught the first flight to the States, with the intention to do everything in his power to become her partner. Yuri had finished his training in Europe, and already had quite a few successful performances behind him…as well as a lot of hatred in his heart. He felt that he was ready to have his revenge on Kalos.

By the time they first met, he'd already gone over every scrap of material he could get on her with the intention to study her character. The plan was laid out before his plane touched the ground-when they met, he would do everything possible to make himself as desirable to her as possible. If she didn't find his intelligence and skills impressive enough…well, Europe had taught him quite a few ways to win a woman's favor as it was. Nothing, absolutely nothing, was too low or underhanded in this war. Layla Hamilton was his ticket in Kaleido Stage and would serve him the position from which to eliminate Kalos on a silver platter.

Just as expected, he had to go through a Hell of a lot of interviews before he could meet her in person. His references and past were thoroughly researched, as Layla's father wanted her partner to have a reputation as pristine as his daughter's. Yuri suffered all of these patiently, but deep inside he was already burning with a desire to meet her.

That day, it had rained. Some people considered it a bad sign, but to Yuri it was as if the Heavens themselves warned Kalos about his incoming doom. He'd learned that he was the only candidate that had been admitted for a personal 'interview' with Miss. Layla, and he'd considered this another omen that he was right to get what he wanted. But he didn't let himself go-he had to make sure that her affections were secured before he proceeded. Given that she was a rich heiress, she had probably lived a very secluded life, and had little contact with men. She was either very clueless of dying to explore that part of life, and as far as he was concerned, he would give her anything as long as she made him Kalos' top performer.

But nothing had prepared him for meeting Layla Hamilton in the flesh. He was admitted into the training room to audition, and was greeted by the sight of her back as she stretched on the floor. Damn, he thought, the camera does add fifty pounds. He'd seen pictures of her, but none of them had done her real justice. By just looking at her backside, that beautiful body that seemed like it was drawn by elegant, slim waves, he was beginning to sweat and ran short on breath. Yes, their partnership would definitely have…benefits for both of them. He would be damned if he let a woman with such a weep worthy body go away.

Then she had risen and turned around to face him, and Yuri had been lost. That lovely face, that long, shiny hair, and those fine features had been absolutely captivating…but what petrified him was her eyes. Their shape and the depth of their color were mesmerizing, but the look they gave him was anything but naïve or clueless. Those were the eyes of a queen…no, of a Goddess. For a while, neither said anything, while she studied him and he contemplated her with something akin to religious exultation.

As their gazes locked, all his first plans had gone straight into the gutter. Layla Hamilton was not a child, but a full-grown woman, who wouldn't fall into the trap of any man. She called the shots. She was the one in control. Suddenly, Yuri knew that it wasn't simple snobbish arrogance that had made Layla tell Kalos that she would win the World Festival if she was chosen as the next Star. That woman had potential, and she was damn well aware of it. Wordlessly, she motioned him to pick a trapeze, and then moved to the other one. Yuri reminded himself that this was for his father, that this was his only chance in and that he didn't want to blow it…but for those minutes while they performed, all that was on his mind was this beautiful woman, this angel who executed difficult maneuvers as if they were nothing…and that he had to keep up with her in order to stay by her side.

When they'd finished, he'd had the most embarrassing urge to drop on his knees in front of her, spill all his reasons to be here in the first place, and beg her to run away with him, thus tossing away everyone and everything. However, his father still came first, and Yuri managed to keep a straight face as he looked at her. Layla had been short. She'd told him that she was going to be the next Kaleido Star, and that she would need a partner that could keep up with her. When she'd asked him if he could do that, he'd said firmly:

"I believe you already assured yourself what I can do."

"Yes." She had nodded, a grim smile spreading on her face "You are a Devil on stage, Yuri Killian. But I care not for that. As long as you can prove yourself worthy to be by my side, you'll be my partner."

Yuri had only nodded. One month later, they were chosen as the new top performers in Kaleido Stage. One year later, they'd won the World Circus Festival. The fruits from his plan were just waiting to be harvested, but he took his time, enjoying the brief panic in Kalos' eyes whenever he saw him, making him guess when he would strike and destroy him. He also savored his moments with Layla, secretly hoping that she wouldn't leave him when he did carry out his revenge.

The first time they'd made love, after the Golden Phoenix had been performed and the Festival-won, she had been so stressed by the pressure everyone applied on her that she'd barely known what was going on. They'd lain in silence hours after they'd finished, nearly strangled in the bed sheets, her head resting on his forearm instead of the pillow, and he was playing with her golden locks. Dread had settled on them. Yuri had wondered if he had perhaps blown everything with this momentary weakness…until she effortlessly slid on top of him, her hair obscuring them like a thin veil as she kissed him again and again, her body liquid fire in his arms as they became one again and again, until the day caught up with them. As the sun dawned, he'd truly felt like he'd been reborn from the ashes.

Yuri didn't know what would come out of him playing around with Sora, but he wasn't going to let himself become dependant on Layla and her moods. Just because he forgot Valentine's Day, he wouldn't let her treat him like some sort of servant. It wasn't that much of an offence, after all-they didn't need a holiday to show how much they loved each other. And considering all that he'd done in the past…

_**Screech! **_

…..

…….

………..

Yeah…what he'd done in the past…hadn't exactly been nice.

_Nice…what a way of putting it. How about sick, ambitious, disgusting and…_

Great, he thought, now my mind is developing a Layla side.

_Well, you can't blame her for being worried now, can you? You acted as if she wasn't worth anything and now you're fooling around with her best friend. What is she supposed to think of you?_

If she really knew me, she would know that it's all a joke, he defended himself angrily. If she did, she would know the truth.

_But have you ever told her that you love her? _

Oh, shut up!

* * *

His intention was to go to her and straighten things out. However, that changed, because as soon as he walked into the practice room he saw that she had obviously decided to change her priorities as well. In the current case, her Hermia had shifted her eyes towards Demetrius.

But before we get to that, let us fill in the gaps about our heroes' misfortunes.

When the storm died out, Kate managed to contact Sarah and Kalos and inform them of their stars' whereabouts. An hour and a billion calls later, they came with a car to pick them up from the train station. Both Sora and Leon were dead on their feet by the time they reached the dorms, but that didn't stop everyone who was still awake in that ungodly hour from showering them with questions.

There were lots of enquiries and unwanted questions. Everyone wondered how Sora hurt herself and wanted to hear exactly what the doctor had said, etc, etc. Finally, Leon had enough and shouted out that Kate had told Sora to lie down for a few days and then everything would be just fine. That caused everyone to stare at him as if he'd just grown another head for a good minute, before nodding meekly and excusing themselves.

Leon was still recovering from the excessive voice use, when Sarah patted him on the back and whispered: "I admire your bravery, Leon-kun. We're counting on you."

"But of course, since Sora is forbidden to stand for at least a couple of days, she'll need somebody to help her." The blond explained the next day when everybody asked her why the top performers weren't practicing for the new show "It's only minor scratches, but for the healing to be the most efficient, she shouldn't strain herself much. Leon's perfect for the job."

So that's how, not twenty-four hours after Sora's blowing up in everybody's faces, the scarlet-haired starlet found herself confined to a sickbed for the next three days with no other than Leon Oswald, her partner and the man she was developing a Titanic-sized crush on, as her self-appointed nanny. A lot of people saw something wrong with that picture, but only Yuri had the guts to go object to that arrangement to the dorm manager.

He was surprised to find Layla there, already engaged in a heated argument with the talented singer over that very same problem. Yuri glared at his partner as she shot argument after argument at Sarah…and the blond retorted just as accurately.

"How can you let him be the one to nurse Sora?!" the Hamilton princess exclaimed in that dangerously low voice that usually had the recipient cowering away into some tiny dark hole and never coming out again. However, Sarah hadn't become a martial artist just like that.

"For the umpteenth time, Layla, why ever shouldn't he? He's her partner, and with her out for a few days, he wouldn't have anything else to do anyways."

"If he's going to take care of her, he would have to spend virtually every minute with her, meaning that he might have to spend the night! How is that a good example for everyone in the dorms?"

At that point Yuri barked a laugh, causing the two women to turn and notice him. Sarah waved at him friendly, but all he earned from his partner was the cold shower. For a brief moment he tried to say something, but she whirled back and continued her argument as if she'd never been interrupted.

"Sarah, please consider! The Stage isn't that popular, but it still attracts the attention of the media! I don't want people to backlash anyone, especially Sora!"

"People will NOT backlash someone just because they are taken care of. Layla, honestly, would you really make such a fuss if a nurse came along to help Sora?"

"No, for obvious reasons."

"More men become nurses nowadays. You can't have a one-way gender emancipation, you know. This is the 21st century, meaning that men should be able to take on a woman's job without being labeled as gay."

"Yes. How fortunate Leon is to be so…"

"So?"

"Unambiguously manly." Layla said, and to her immense delight she heard Yuri choke on thin air behind her. "Really, the testosterone is streaming from him in waves. You can't mistake him for a gay. It would be an insult to nature itself!"

"Ahh, that's true." The martial artist nodded "However, for his year with us, Leon has been a perfect gentleman…"

"If you're not counting all the abuse he put Sora and May through." Yuri chimed in, for once not bothering whether he was arguing Layla or helping her cause

"And he never acted inappropriately towards a lady…"

"Oh, so pulling shoulders out is now considered gentlemanly behavior? I'd never do that!"

"As nice as this is to hear, Yuri…" Sarah shot him her polite smile "Interrupting a lady when she's making a point is also considered ungentlemanly."  
The acrobat made as if he zipped his mouth and gestured her to continue. "Now, as I was saying, Leon may not have the best track record when it comes to his partners, but you have to admit that after "Swan Lake", he's been on his best behavior in this area. And so far, no girl has ever complained that he had mistreated her, and he has not caused a single scandal, which is more than I can say for a person whom I never expected to get involved in a scandal…" and this is the place to say that while nearly everyone found the whole Ken/May affair extremely hilarious, Sarah took it TERRIBLY serious "…Overall, I think Leon is the best man for the job and we can count on him to treat Sora with all the respect she deserves."

"Some men…" Yuri said when he made sure Sarah was done "…Consider making love to a woman as a way to show their respect to her."

"Well making love does women good." Layla said vehemently "Especially if the man is as virtuous between the sheets as he is on the trapeze."

"Oh, Layla, you can't know that!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes zeroing on something behind both of them, but Layla was too busy making Yuri feel like a spot on the floor and Yuri was too busy being a spot on the floor to notice.

"Oh yes, I do. Why else would none of his old partners not file a complaint against him? He obviously has a way of making up for his past mistakes."

If you want to make your boyfriend feel insufficient, aim between his legs. For decades that has been men's metaphorical and not-so-metaphorical sore spot, especially when they're being compared. However, that plan always seems to have the tendency to backfire if the man you're comparing him with is in the vicinity. Or, in this case, the same room.

Talk about primates.

"What a very interesting theory." Leon's cold voice made the two partners whirl around to face him, faces absolutely devoid of any emotion due to total dumbstruck ness. Thank God they had years of acting behind them, Yuri thought, otherwise they would've lost it.

"We didn't see you come in, Leon." He finally croaked

"I suppose you didn't, with that absolutely absorbing conversation of yours." The Frenchman noted, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat "I'm glad that people still find it amusing to speculate about other people's lives."

"We were speculating only about you, Leon. It's different." Layla replied, regaining her composure in seconds.

"It depends. Speculation is different than downright presumptuousness."

"How so?"

"Only one of them is tolerable." He sneered. Layla didn't even blink-instead, she turned so that she could look at him straight in the eye and flickered her golden strands over her shoulder

"And what if I'm interested in something you might be able to offer me? Don't I have the right to be presumptuous then?"

Leon gave her his best haughty look, but when his adversary was a woman who had been brought up to look down on people, the tactic wasn't very successful. However, his voice was perfectly composed when he replied:

"No, you don't, as I am not interested in anything you might give me in return." Putting the conversation to an end, he turned to Sarah "I will go to Sora in the afternoon. Everyone is with her right now, so she wouldn't need me for a few hours."

"Alright. Do you want a key to her room? Spare her the trouble of getting up…" Sarah beamed and reached for the said item. Yuri rolled his eyes-she was mad at Ken for his behavior, but she practically invited Leon and Sora to…to…

As if reading their thoughts, Leon threw them a cold look over his shoulder as he took the keys from Sarah. "Rest assured, I won't do anything to Sora. I have enough self-respect to know that I don't need to bed a woman with no regard to her will to prove how much a man I am."

"Undoubtedly." Layla drawled as detachedly as possible while her eyes followed the cascade of white hair that covered his back. She didn't have to look to see that Yuri was frowning so hard he would get permanent wrinkles between his brows. Leon didn't give any sign that he was somehow impressed by the situation and leaned over the desk to have a word with Sarah. The cheery martial artist listened for a while, then nodded with a wide grin.

As the Frenchman was leaving, Yuri turned around and said, in what appeared to be a careless tone:

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Leon. Sometimes men feel obliged to do things they never expected to do." The tall figure stiffened and then Leon turned his head to give Yuri a look of pure hatred, before heading into the darkness.

* * *

The blond slowly unclenched his fists and took a deep breath as he walked out into the sunny yard. The truth was that he didn't know whether he wanted to kill Leon for being so perfect or shake some sense into that proud head of Layla's. Honestly, that woman was absolutely obstinate, ridiculous, sly, underhanded…

"Yuri!"

And absolutely gorgeous when she was angry. He only had time to turn around and offer her a better access of his cheek so that she could slap him.

And some slap that was! She didn't look like it, but she was incredibly strong, with all those maneuvers she executed on a daily basis. That was one of the reasons Layla rarely resorted to this means to get somebody's attentions. In fact, he'd only seen her do it once.

Oh, she often got mad, and he was often the recipient of these feelings. However, she preferred to stick to the proud decorum and silent treatment when she punished someone, because she believed that showing someone how much you despise them is the highest form of vengeance. And it did wonders. Just by putting on the Ice Queen façade was enough to make people crawl in her feet and beg for forgiveness. When she had slapped him, nearly two years ago, she had been so hurt that she nearly lost control over herself and cried.

Had he really hurt her this much? He thought as he watched her from his crouching position on the ground.

"What was that for?" Yuri finally rasped, staring at her with disbelief.

"That is for acting like a jackass in front of Sarah and Leon…" she hissed in a dangerously low voice "…And for trying to crumple my authority."

"It's been a while since your word was heard around here." He said, getting slowly on his feet. "Don't expect everyone to bow to your will."

"Have I not told you not to make such unsightly scenes in front of me? Your conduct is absolutely unacceptable!"

"That's like the pot calling the kettle black. You, who always put the performance before everything…what rumors do you think will fly when people notice your behavior? For someone as concerned for Sora's image you sure don't care about yours!"

"What I do is my business. It has always been." She replied in her favorite contemptuous voice, knowing full well that it would hurt him more than any insult she could throw at him. Yuri's fists clenched again. Just for those words, he felt mad enough to strangle her for making him feel so little and insignificant. As if he didn't have an impact in her life. As if they hadn't been together.

"Since you are so eager to help Sora out, I suggest you go now before she is too tired to see anyone else." Layla said, turning on her heel to leave "And one more thing-acting like a jealous teenager may be a tactic that'll work for Sora, but it is unbecoming and degrading. Stop it before you make a fool out of everyone."

_Stop her_, his Layla-designed mind screamed, _stop her right now! You're making a big mistake! Just say that you're sorry and get it over with!_

But no matter how hard he tried, words seemed to fail him as she was walking away.

_Tell her that you're sorry. Make her listen! Tell her…_

Tell her…

_Tell her you love her, you smarmy prick! _

Of course he didn't.

* * *

Leon, on his part, was living in his own little private hell. So preoccupied he had been with analyzing Layla's strange behavior that he didn't watch out for Yuri. That bastard was like a poisonous snake-it hid and struck when you totally let your guard down.

Damn it, he had enjoyed himself last night. Even though he and Sora spend most of the time on uncomfortable chairs in the ER or the dingy hotel room, their moment together had been more worth it than all the quality time he'd had with his previous partners. Of course, he'd been rather taken aback with his new charge, as everyone seemed to get strange ideas, but he was looking forward to spending entire days (and maybe nights if he was allowed to) with Sora, just because they would talk again.

And he'd nearly forgotten about that dumb bet too! Even Yuri's behavior wouldn't have upset him, but now that he was so painfully reminded of the bet he'd struck with his two colleagues, the time he would devote to Sora held a very ominous warning to him. No matter how hard he tried not to think about it, every minute he spend with her would be ruined because of his constant worrying if this would be taken as a part of the bet or not. Of course, he could send the whole thing to hell and really court her when the week was out (it was only three days, without this one). He really would do it too-it wasn't like he cared what Yuri or Ken would say. Unlike them, he didn't need to prove himself to anyone. But…he dreaded how Sora would interpret this. Would she think he approached her out of a bet? Even if he told her and she believed him, she would always wonder if he was sincere, which would put a strain on their relationship…a strain that might turn into something disastrous.

He groaned angrily. Obviously, he would have to resort to other measures to pull this one off…and prevent the Grim Reaper from harvesting another precious soul.

* * *

A/N-Well, this was pretty Yuri/Layla centric. I hope you liked it. Review!


	13. Chapter 13

* * *

Kalos arranged the items on his desk, then peered out the window. The view outside, unchanged for some time, only made him more edgy. The owner of Kaleido stage got up, walked around, poured himself a drink and made sure his socks matched. Then he glanced at the clock. 30 seconds had passed. Damn it!

He was generally a very calm man. Running a business required a steely character, cold blood and calculative mind. So usually nothing could piss him off. However, today, it seemed like his girlfriend was the more qualified to run Kaleido Stage than himself. As soon as Sarah had heard who would come, she had insisted on sitting in the meeting and so far she hadn't shown any signs of nervousness.

"It's only a meeting with Edward, Kalos." She said, patting the seat next to her

"Whenever I see Edward, something bad happens." He grumbled "You know it! I know it! Why should I pretend to be happy about it?"

"Because he's only one of your oldest friends! Besides, he helped you start off when you founded Kaleido Stage."

"And now I'm paying him back with interest. Honestly, no matter what I do, he'll never leave me alone. First he nearly snagged half of my performers for his ballet company, then whenever he comes he gets into some argument with the teachers that send them sulking for weeks, and now he wants to talk. I can't even begin to imagine what's going to follow."

"There's no helping it. Edward is a very talented choreographer, and a great businessman-whenever he sees an opportunity, he reacts on instinct and snatches it."

"It doesn't help me that he always sides with Andy…" Kalos went on, completely ignoring what she said "He thinks you're wasting yourself with me and…"

"Relax…" standing up, she silenced him softly with a kiss "It'll be alright."

"Weeeeell…." Somebody drawled from the door "Did we arrive at a bad time?" Kalos and Sarah stepped away from each other. She let out an amused grin while he scoffed.

If an outsider saw the man walking in, he would've thought that by his haughty air that he was in fact the owner. Tall, blond and slender, he looked like he'd just stepped out of a romantic painting, and his gentle, dreaming features left no doubt in the onlooker that he could compose sonnets with the same ease normal people spoke. If Kalos didn't know for sure that Sarah loved him, he would've been bothered to leave her alone in the room with him. As it was…

"Excuse me, I have some urgent business to do." The owner announced while heading for the door "Please start the meeting without…"

Sarah reached out and grabbed him by the collar "Stay here, Kalos, I'll take care of it in a minute. Please, have a seat, Edward."

"Ah, as sweet as always!" He crooned, taking her free hand and kissing it "You are truly a diva, Sarah Dupont. What would Kalos do without you!?"

"What indeed?" she smiled, while she pushed the latter into his chair and moved around to stand by his side. For some reason, it was both supportive and intimidating, Kalos thought as he settled more comfortably. Edward made himself comfortable on the couch, but not before he grabbed a sketch from the table.

"A new production, I see…"

"Yes. Midsummer Night's Dream. We just got some ideas for the flyers."

"Professional help?"

"No, we asked among the newcomers to sketch their ideas." Sarah replied "It's rather refreshing, no? The results have been so much better than we expected that we still have a hard time deciding."

"You shouldn't always trust on amateurs, Sarah, but this is very decently done. Tasteful." He put the paper down. "Hire a professional photographer for the shoot though. For me?"

"As always."

"We really have a lot of work to do…" Kalos raised his voice a little "Might we know what brings you here today?"

"Always straight to the point…" Edward sighed "I don't know whether it's a good or bad thing."

"He's very dedicated…" Sarah replied, sensing that her partner was about to lose it pretty soon. "Unfortunately, he's right. There is a lot of things to take care of, especially with Sora down for a few days."

"Down? She isn't sick, is she?" Edward exclaimed with genuine concern

"Just spi…" Kalos began, only to be cut off by Sarah

"Not at all. She just got some minor cuts on her legs. You see, she was walking yesterday and…" she proceeded to fill Edward in with the details about her accident. The latter acted accordingly, showing concern, shock and horror whenever requested. He's either a great actor, or he just overdoes things naturally, Kalos thought while his fingers drum-drummed away on the armrests of his chair "…and so for the next couple of days, she'll be resting."

"How horrible!" Their guest exclaimed "The perpetrators must be punished!"

"They're just kids, Edward…" Kalos sighed, letting some amusement lace with the irritation "Even they couldn't control the ball. Accidents happen."

"Accidents-shmacksidents! Their parents would pay for the screen they broke, right? They can't say that some glass is more valuable than the legs of an acrobat. Doesn't she have an insurance?"

"No…"

"Unacceptable! If she were a ballerina she would've had one placed on her as soon as she put toe shoes on. Those people shouldn't get away with saying it was just an accident!" Edward was all out now, pacing around the office and gesticulating to illustrate his words "Is there no justice in this world? What if she was gravely injured? What if she could never perform again?"

"That may be so, but Sora doesn't like to dwell on past possibilities." Sarah tried to soothe him "She's alright now, that's what matters. And the children were very, very sorry."

"So she wouldn't press charges?" Edward asked, looking slightly disappointed

"No."

"Oh well…" he plopped down on the couch again "There's no helping it, I guess. But still, she needs to think about it in the future."

"I'll tell her."

"I'll make sure you do." Edward winked, turning the mood in the room back to the sub zero scale "Actually, that has something to do with why I'm here. You see…"

* * *

May bend her knees and launched herself into a triple loop. Her body flew and span in the air gracefully, before landing on the ice in a whirl of snowflakes. From the sidelines, it looked completely and totally beautiful. It proved how much her nickname, Fairy on Ice May suited her so well. However, to her, having executed similar jumps for most of the day, it had become bothersome and annoying.

People stared at her, some with awe, others with surprise, even with annoyance. A boisterous show-off…Yeah, she'd gotten used to that label.

But she didn't really care. Skating always helped her clear her mind and it would now. It definitely would!

She hadn't slept at all, despite her efforts. When it became clear that she wouldn't be able to get some rest, she'd called Meryl to see if she could open the rink earlier for her. May hadn't been so early there since the days she trained for competitive skating, but her instincts were still as sharp. Here she was, practicing for nearly eight hours and she hadn't collapsed.

Lunch was coming along…perhaps she needed to take a break. But she couldn't force herself to stop. If she did, she would drown in a sea of freaky dollish smiles.

"May-san!" She stopped abruptly when the voice reached her ears. Surprised, she turned her eyes to the tribunes to see Ken waving her to come by.

As if to make things even more confusing for her, he told her that no, he wasn't sent by Kalos to check on her, and no, her presence wasn't required today. Instead, the blond announced promptly that he'd come to see how she was faring and make sure she ate. Before May knew it, the two were sitting in the rink café, him stirring his coffee, she poking absently at her sandwich.

The atmosphere wasn't good. He was nervous and she wasn't in a mood to talk. How could she, when she saw the pictures of Leon and his old partners flash before her eyes like some ominous slideshow?! The implications scared her even more than the actual meanings, and to make matters worse, her mind kept coming up with ideas as to how Leon had come in possession of Sora's locket, not three days after she'd bought it. Had he already gotten her? Had he actually had the nerve to seduce her and now he held one of her things as a makeshift trophy for his little wall of fame, since he had no pictures yet?

The more she thought about it the more worried she got. Not because Sora had become another hole in his belt, mind, but because she was doing such a good job in hiding it. She hadn't told Layla about it, which probably meant that nobody knew about it, which meant that they were better in hiding their…relationship from others than any other woman he'd ever dated. Did this mean that she had succeeded?

She was torn from her thoughts when, thanks to the changed silence, she realized that Ken had asked her a question. There was just a difference in the silence when you just waited to fill your time and when you waited for an answer.

"Excuse me? What was that?"

"I asked you if I could help you somehow. You seemed a little cast off since last night."

"Yeah well…." Oh, she was so tempted to tell him everything right now! But the idea of ruining those beautiful, hope-filled eyes was making her heart break. "I guess that you reap what you sow."

"What does that mean?"

"Forget it. I was asking for it…"

"Please tell me."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you're better off not knowing."

"What happened to 'accomplices in our mutual love fights'?"

Innocence be damned "I found something that belongs to Sora in Leon's room last night." And before he could blurt out one of his ready-made defense lines, she added "In the bottom of his desk drawers. And I can say with a lot of authority that it was put there sometime between Monday and last night."

She let the information sink in and took a big bite of her sandwich to prevent her from saying anything else, trying to fight away the guilt. Ken was a good guy, he really was, and he deserved to find some nice girl who would let him fulfill her every dream about a Prince Charming on a White horse (even though the said prince couldn't ride a horse).

But he also deserved the truth. And even though May wished she had remained blissfully unaware herself, there was at least one good side to it-it had woken her up.

"I guess I just wasn't good enough…" Ken sighed

"Yes, you weren't." May nodded, causing the boy to flinch

"You didn't have to say it so…"

"Why? It's true? Don't you want to learn the truth? You can't always run away from it, and frankly, it's better off if you face it."

"But…"

"I personally think it's for the best." She replied, wriggling her toes to fight the pain in them "And I think it's high time I gave up on Leon! There! I said it! No more Death God obsession! I'm through!"

"May-san, you can't say that. What about Sora? If she's in danger…"

"She's not in danger, dummy. Quite frankly, I think that if Leon hasn't devoured her yet, he doesn't have the intention to do it, and if he has, then she damn well has him in the palm of her hand. She's quite safe. And even if she isn't, a little reality check every once in a while should help her. I mean, look how much benefit it did me-it finally rid me of this quite unhealthy infatuation."

"But…"

"I mean, come on!" she went on mercilessly "What chance in a million years would I have, not only to win, but also to actually convert Leon into the man of my dreams? None, I'll tell you that!"

"You said that…"

"He's not even my type. I mean, sure, he's tall, handsome and mysterious, but how does that help in a long term relationship? I need a guy that, after the first passion dies out, would be ready to tell me how beautiful I am, how much he loves me, who would be gentle and caring and would introduce me to his parents! Who would be able to cope with my brothers so that I can have some free time! Who'd want kids! Eventually…But that's beyond the point! He's nothing like this!"

They sat silently, while May regained her composure and Ken processed the information. For a while, both felt like hyperventilating-May, because she'd spilled her heart out to KEN of all people, and Ken because the thought that Sora was completely and irreversibly lost to him was…well, quite painful.

Not that others hadn't told him, mind. And he wasn't that blind-he knew he couldn't stand a chance in a full out contest with Leon or Yuri or even Dio (if that guy wasn't in love with Anna though). But all the people who'd told him that he should better give up on Sora had always been so blasé about it, so…good-hearted, he'd thought that they were just joking, or at least weren't serious.

Or maybe they were just trying to protect him.

May had no such noble motives. She said what was on her mind without softening up the blow for anybody. That was why her words affected him so-because he was certain of their absolute truth.

"But…" he began "May-san, if Leon-san wasn't your type, why would you try to go after him in the first place?"

She glared at him, and then dropped defeated on the table. "Because we women are suckers for change. We hook up with all sorts of assholes just because they're dark, mysterious and sexy, and overlook good guys because they're boring. But in the back of their minds, every party woman dreams of settling down eventually, and in the picture perfect fantasy, it's with this guy. And she's absolutely thrilled by the idea that he might be just as bipolar and wishes the same. Or, better yet, if he changes when she does." Seeing that he still didn't get it, she elaborated "To know that somebody changed his ways because of you is the biggest flattery a woman can receive. Forget the chocolates, candy, cute cards…it's change. You're the one that turned my life around, opened my eyes, showed me the light…those are the lines that do a woman in, and the best womanizers know how to use them. You want to know why I so continuously went after Leon? Because I wanted to be his One and Only. The one to make him forget all the others before me."

Her eyes began to sting and she felt a familiar pressure in her throat. She wanted to cry, and yet she didn't want to get that dramatic in front of Ken. She'd already told him enough…

However, the effort to keep herself absolutely straight was too much for May and she hung her head low, letting her hair obscure her eyes, while her hands braced on the table for support. She fought the tears bravely, but she knew that they would come soon. That's why she nearly broke down when she felt the weight of a masculine hand on her shoulder and then registered it moving down to rub her back soothingly.

"Stop trying to comfort me!" she snapped at Ken, but when you had mascara running down your cheeks like a black fountain, converting anger was a little difficult. She wanted to punch him when he smiled and hugged her carefully. "Ken, you're embarrassing yourself."

"You said that changing flattered women."

"You sleazy womanizer!" she laughed through tears "Why won't you leave me alone?"

"Now how can I do that? I'm an old-fashion guy, May, I can't just leave a pretty girl to cry off alone."

"Great…" she resigned and let him bring her another cup of tea (which she drank too quickly and burned her tongue) and a tart (which she ate, to hell with the diet), and when her tears were swallowed away, he finally dared to speak.

"Look, May-san, I truly don't understand your logic. I mean, if others had tried and failed why…ok, ok, don't look at me like that! I just can't comprehend how you may think that the only way for you to feel really happy is to catch a guy and convert him to the man of your dreams, especially since you're a lot more beautiful, creative and successful than most of the other girls out there. You're just as every bit as lovely as anyone is and I can tell you for certain that I would introduce you to my parents any day, any time of the week."

She gave him a sarcastically biting look before staring guiltily at the chocolate crumbs in front of her.

"I'm serious." He continued calmly "If I wasn't in love with Sora, and didn't think this was unjust of you, I'd gladly have you as my girlfriend, though it's not very likely that you'd have me."

"Why wouldn't I have you?" she asked "I can't have Leon, and you can't have Sora, why won't we…"

"Because I love Sora, even if she doesn't love me back." He sighed, as if he was explaining to an obstinate child why Santa can't come in July "And you still like Leon, in spite of what you're saying. It wouldn't be fair to get into a relationship if we've no feelings for each other."

"So you're saying that just because we were in love before and it was not reciprocate we should cease to live!" she stood up abruptly and had him jump back with surprise at her sudden energy "If everyone remained so loyal to their first love, the world would stop spinning, Ken! Don't you see? We have to get ourselves out of this ditch and the first step towards this is to get over it!"

"May-san, I'm afraid you should sit down. All this excitement does you no good."

"Fiddlesticks! Get up, Ken!"

"May I remind you that your last bright idea got us into trouble? Where are we going anyway!" he yelped helplessly as she dragged him through the crowd

"To rent you a pair of skates. You're coming with me on the rink."

"B…but I have a condition!"

"You'll be fine, just a few rounds. Besides…" she paused long enough to ask Meryl to get Ken something his size "You need learn that you can have fun without Sora. That's the first step to emotional rehab."

Ken could only nod to that.

* * *

She blinked once. Twice. Thrice. Nope, it didn't go away, so it was very likely that it was true.

Leon stared back at her. His long hair was pulled back into what looked like a pony tail, although she'd never seen a pony that could pride himself with such a silky mane, his coat was draped over a chair to dry off from the rain, and his skin looked still slightly damp. The storm must've caught him on his way here, because it was unfathomable that Leon Oswald would leave his house without an umbrella if it rained like the end of the world outside. But the weirdest part was that he was actually in her apartment, her kitchen, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows, and he was actually cooking.

However, his voice and expression were still as unmatched with his actions as before, because the first thing he did was to scold her for standing up. Then, of course, he proceeded to shoo her back into her bed, tuck her in and leave her laptop within reach so that she wouldn't get bored. And without a second to spare, he was back into the kitchen.

Sora stared after him for a few seconds, contemplating her chances of winning an argument when she couldn't stand without grimacing with pain. In the end, she decided to let him have this little victory and popped the computer open.

However, as much as she tried focusing on the e-mail she was composing, the words seemed to slip her. Sighing, she put the laptop down and rested back. Somehow, sitting all day didn't do the miracles Kate told her it would. Her feet healed terribly slow, and she was starting to feel way to energized to be contained in one spot.

Thank God Leon's here, right? She thought sourly as she leaned over the side of the bed to look at him. Nope, he hadn't left. He hadn't evaporated either. It was so strange to see him here, even though Sarah had already warned her about the decision taken. As if the very notion was akin to something out of a fairytale. Not that Leon didn't have a right to be here (she was his partner, after all), or that he couldn't be nice to her (since he was capable of being nice), and there definitely wasn't a rule against partners coming over to cook dinner for each other (if anyone else was sick, she'd be the first to offer her assistance).

But it felt surreal because Leon was…Leon. Apparently, the freezing first impression he'd given her had rooted very deep because no matter how nice he was, she felt like he was planning something. And that wasn't good.

Why did he have to change so suddenly? Was he really so bipolar? Or perhaps he had a lot more sides than he let out! Why had he decided to bring out more of his nicer side now when it had taken a miracle to get him to smile in the first place? And why was she being so paranoid all of the sudden? Wasn't she supposed to welcome changes, especially those that were so decidedly for the better?

Her fingers drummed on the side of her laptop and for a while she was so preoccupied by the beat they made that she didn't notice that a certain somebody had logged on, until the said somebody sent a message.

_A: Hello, Sora._

She nearly fell over the edge again. As if she didn't have enough romantic issues as it was!

* * *

A/N-Still short on Sora/Leon moments. I'll amend for that soon. For now, I grab my mountain-walking shoes and off to the climb.

For my poetry-My account on Fiction Press can be accessed through my webpage slot in my profile. Enjoy.


	14. Chapter 14

Sora felt like all the air was being drained out of her lungs way too quickly. She braced herself on the bed, grabbing at the quilt with one hand and the headboard-with the other. However, that didn't stop her head for spinning and she had to lie back for a second to regain her senses. When she stood up to look at the screen to make sure that she wasn't hallucinating, there were colorful spots dancing in front of her eyes, and her heart was beating in what felt like a hundred miles per second.

But it was still there-in bright and impossible color. Allegro was there, and he was calling her.

_A: Are you there?_

_SN: You know I am!_

Sora leaned over the edge of the bed to look at Leon. Her partner seemed preoccupied cutting vegetables, when the computer made a loud cling and announced the arrival of a new message. She quickly turned the volume off and sat back on the bed, angling herself so that if he walked into the room, he wouldn't see the screen. For some reason, having him learn of her chat conversations felt a little scary.

_A: I am but a musician, Sora. Don't turn me into a gypsy yet._

_SN: That's not what I meant._

_A: Is it?_

_A: Are you alright? I heard of the accident._

Her heart skipped a beat. Had he come to visit her? How did he learn of it? Who told him? She quickly typed all those questions down and the time that took him to reply felt like a century.

_A: That is irrelevant. Everyone spoke of it.  
_

_SN: That's not fair! Somebody must've told you._

_A: Even if you knew, it wouldn't help you discover my true identity._

She began to feel irritation bubble up within her. Why did he have to continue this? He knew everything that happened to her, yet he remained perfectly anonymous. Her conversation with Kate replayed in her mind and she felt painfully stupid for acting so much as a…hormonal teenager, getting all excited because somebody contacted her on the net.

_SN: Don't you think this is a little unfair? I mean you know everything about me and yet I don't know anything about you!_

_A: I believe we already discussed that. You cannot know everyone on this planet, Sora._

_SN: Don't I deserve to know at least those to whom I speak? I don't even know you._

_A: To me, music makes the world around me. I am nothing but my music. You don't need to know more._

_SN: How can you know what I need? How can I possibly trust you when all you do is speak in riddles?_

_A: You put too much worth into words…into knowledge. Sometimes, into technique._

_SN: Technique is what my life relies on. _

_A: And to me music is what my life relies on. You should, for once, stop thinking and just feel. _

Feel? Stop thinking and feel? That was probably the one thing Sora couldn't allow herself to do. Of course, she poured everything into her performance and blinded the audience with her feelings, but that was only once she had learned her routine and perfected her act until she could sleep her way though it and not fall down. To be wholly and utterly impulsive? Impossible.

_SN: To do that, I need to trust my partner, the lest._

Allegro was silent. She gave him a full five minutes to reply, and yet he didn't say anything. Sora squeezed her hands to stop them from quivering. From what? Anger? Disappointment? Shame? Slowly, she wrote, feeling the bitterness leek through her attempts to remain composed.

_SN: I'm sorry, but I cannot trust you. _

_A: Because you don't know me?_

_SN: Can I let myself go with someone I don't know? How can I be sure that you wouldn't let me fall?_

_A: What does your heart tell you?_

Again with the heart. She couldn't believe that this guy was trying so hard to deter her from her goal, to throw her off track…Why was it so important to him that she blindly trusted him?

_SN: My heart doesn't know you. _

_SN: I don't know your language, Allegro. If I can't speak it, how am I supposed to reach YOUR heart?_

_SN: Why can't you just trust me?_

Now she had him cornered. He would have to tell her something, or they would have to stop talking. And he didn't want that to happen…right? She knew she didn't.

_A: I'm sorry. I'm afraid that this is goodbye then. _

_Why? Don't do this!_ She wanted to scream, but she remained resolute. She wouldn't tolerate this. He was a stranger, nothing more. She had to stay firm. And yet, why did the next four words cut her with their bold and simple statement of truth?

**Allegro has logged off. **

* * *

Kalos was pacing again, but thankfully they didn't expect Edward to come back…for the next few days or so. Sarah laid back in the couch, staring at him with equal parts of confusion and worry. It had been a while since she last saw him this agitated, and when he was agitated, he usually took rash decisions that he often regretted.

"You need to relax." She told him, slowly, although she was feeling much less sure of herself than before

"Do you think I can? I mean, don't I have the right to be mad?" He threw his hands in the air "Edward comes here with such a suggestion, I think I deserve to be furious!"

"He thinks it's for the best."

"He always does. That's the problem. He always offers suggestions that are good for the stage, always has sufficient ideas and is capable to back them up with facts…it's just that every time someone of my actors goes off to New York to study in his school, he doesn't want to come back!"

"But it's not Edward's fault." Sarah said, getting on her feet and putting her arm on his shoulder "It was for the best, Kalos. He offered them an opportunity to improve, and you gave them a thumbs up on it because it was good for their career. The decision to stay was theirs alone."

"But Edward was the one who showed them the life in New York that tempted them to stay. I couldn't offer them this lifestyle!"

"Not everyone that went there has remained. Layla came back, didn't she? And Yuri too."

"Yuri had a reason. And Layla…"

"She loves the stage, Kalos. Just like Sora does…"

"If this is some clever way for you to stop me from NOT telling Sora and Leon of Edward's ridiculous proposal?" He asked, quirking his eyebrow, then adding jokingly "Have you passed on the side of evil, Sarah?"

"Goodness, no! But don't you think that Sora is old enough to make her own decisions?"

"But if both she and Leon leave, what will happen?" he sighed "We're in the middle of preparing a production, and…"

"They don't need to leave immediately. We can send them in August, during the break, and even if they decide to stay a little longer, we'd have time to prepare something with the freshmen."

"Don't you see that this is all a part of a plot! He's in cahoots with Andy, trying to push me into selling the stage and sending you straight into the music industry!"

"You HAVE to stop to be jealous of Andy." Sarah said, leaning in to peck him on the lips "Because your paranoia is getting ridiculous. Even if Andy may come up with such an underhanded plan, Edward is too good to go along. They both know I'm not a thing, or a child, for them to decide for myself."

"But it's not just about money and glamour. Andy offers you a path to your dream. You can do better than…" Kalos waved his hand around, gesturing towards the messy bills, overflowing garbage bag and dirty walls. "This."

"Haven't I already made it clear that I want to be here, with you?" She sighed with exasperation as she sat him on the couch and climbed into his lap. As she only got an distrusting grunt, she decided to elaborate…once more "Look at it in this way. When the group first broke up, Andy couldn't offer me any more than you could. I chose to follow you, despite your grumpy attitude, because I love you, and I saw Kaleido Stage grow in front of me. There isn't a force in this world to tear me away from it now."

Kalos still looked displeased, but his hands encircled her gently and steadied her. "But I can't offer you what you deserve."

"And what exactly do you think I deserve?" she asked coyly, snuggling into his embrace

"I want to lay the world at your feet." He replied evenly "But I suppose that it's too cliché, no? Too many people have done that already, and there is no world left for me to give you."

Sarah fought back a giggle. That man was sometimes so pedantic, he sounded funny when he was trying to be romantic.

Gods, didn't she love this man!

"That's definitely a disadvantage. However…" her smile grew into a full-fledged grin "There are other ways you can make up for that."

"Hmm…" she twisted skillfully into his arms so that she could face him and straddled his hips "Like?"

"Remember when we started off the group…"

"Yes…" he drawled, too well aware of her antics to be distracted by the heat that shot through both their bodies….much.

"And how after the show you used to teach me some magic…" she continued, leaning in to breathe a feathery kiss on his ear "And we always ended up doing something else."

"Yes…" his hands were rubbing small circles around her back "However, as I recall, I always showed you tricks perched on some old, dirty crates backstage, or some bench in the park…"

Kalos was surprised when Sarah jumped off him swiftly and pulled him by the hand out the office. "Well, let's find ourselves some crates then." She laughed and tugged him towards the storage rooms.

* * *

Sora knew that the easiest way to get rid of this frustration was to turn off the computer and put it away, so that it wouldn't remind her of her brief, but embarrassing chat romance for too long. However, as she predicted, it wasn't enough. Her lo…no, her feelings….no, whatever she had developed towards Allegro couldn't be love or even partiality. She didn't know him. She couldn't trust him. She didn't even know he was what he presented himself to be. Thus she needn't cry. She had no reason to feel anything.

However, their two little conversations, and the tons of music she'd experienced over the past month, had planted something into her soul, and uprooting it now felt so hard she almost felt physical pain as she tried to extract it. It was horrible. Worse than a flu that didn't go away, more painful than the wounds on her legs, more horrible than the time when she thought she'd never be on the stage again. And it was so illogical she knew she didn't have to cry, and yet her biggest wish right now was to curl herself on a small ball and cry until she had no more voice.

Unfortunately, with Leon in the other room, that was impossible, unless she wanted him to know. Of course, there was always the option of faking PMS, but she'd never done it before, and that man knew how to see right through her.

_Maybe I can pretend I'm sound asleep_, she thought and quickly covered herself up. Sleep was good. He wouldn't bother her. He wouldn't worry. Probably she could fake it until he left for his own dorm…

"Sora?" his voice came from the kitchen door. She was lying with her back to him, eyes shut tight, waiting for him to realize she was sleeping and tiptoe back into the other room. However, instead of this, she heard approaching footfalls, and a moment later, the sound of a plate being left on the table. Then, to her utter horror and surprise, she felt the mattress behind her dip under his weight.

What on Earth was going on? Why was Leon coming closer? Why was he…he…What was he _thinking_!

She was somehow relieved when she felt his large palm on her forehead, checking her temperature. Her eyes were still closed, but by the faint puffs of air she felt against her cheek, she decided that he had leaned in to see if she was being sick or just dozing off. Strangely, his hands were cold, but the traces they left on her definitely weren't. As he pulled away, she swore she felt like his fingertips brushing against her skin were marking it.

The mattress returned to normal, but a second later the chair creaked and she heard the rustling of a book being opened. Was he going to stand by her? If she recalled right, Leon was hurt as well. Didn't HE have to rest? The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that he needed some sleep as well. Making up her mind, she sat up to tell him just that. She couldn't sleep with other people wide awake in the room anyways.

To his credit, Leon didn't even look surprised at her sudden awakening, nor her strange question. But he promptly avoided any more concerns for HIS health when he told her to eat her stew.

She hadn't even noticed the pot, honestly. But Leon had the best scolding-nurse gaze in the world and she found herself complying quickly, sitting on the edge of her bed and taking the cup with both hands. He didn't look up from his read until she finished, but by the time she was, he hadn't even turned a single page. How strange…he really did know how to read her. Sora couldn't come up with another explanation for his next question.

"Did something happen today?" he asked, not being the type to beat around the bush for. Sora tucked her feet back in the covers and pulled them up until she could rest her chin on her knees. Stupidly childish habit, but she somehow needed it. It was bad enough Leon was stuck looking after her, and that she was doing a horrible job trying to look cheery and calm for him. No hostess would lie about as her guest did all the work, especially in her pink and purple striped PJ's, but for some strange reason Leon didn't even seemed to notice. As if that man, perfect to a fault, seemed to prefer the company of a creature as flawed as her.

Of course. He probably spent so much with perfect people that he needed someone like her to feel real, Sora thought bitterly. Visions of him walking side by side that assistant, hand slung carelessly over her shoulder, a smirk playing on his lips, wrapped around her heart like thorns she couldn't get out. And though it was highly improbable, she felt like she was being mocked.

And why wouldn't she be? She shined on the stage alone. As soon as she left it, she became the plain, clumsy, insignificant Sora. How could she compare to any of those glamorous women that swirled around him like birds of paradise? How could he notice her, if she wasn't his partner? Sora wondered if they looked as ill-matched on stage as they did off it-his tall frame to her tiny one; his sharp, expressive eyes to her ordinarily boring ones; his gorgeous hair to her that mop of hay on her head. She couldn't compare to HIM, let alone the women of his life. That is, if he wasn't that dandy type that preferred that the woman did not rival his beauty.

Why was it so hard to have a boyfriend? She had no trouble making friends, and her friends coupled up with people they liked, and everything seemed peachy. Sure, Mia and her boyfriend weren't exactly on the best of terms at the moment, but every coupl had its ups and downs, and most of the time everything seemed so easy for them! Why couldn't she just get along with guys, like Anna, or dazzle them with her glamour like Layla, or seduce them with a challenge like May? Even now, as she was alone in her room with a person she liked a lot, she couldn't do anything to look anything but…sickly.

That's when she realized that he was still staring at her carefully. Why?

"Did you fight with someone?" he finally asked

"No." not like you could refer to a person you've never seen as someone "I just…thought about a lot of bad things and I got a headache."

"A lot of bad things?" Leon gave her a suspicious look "Would that perhaps have something to do with that wild chat you had going a few moments back?"

"Huh?" she yelped "How did you know that?!"

"Although you didn't say anything, I could still hear the sound of the messages getting delivered." He replied evenly

"But…" she flushed "Why didn't you say anything? I mean…umm…"

"The messages were addressed to you, no?" His eyebrow arched high "It is none of my business to nose around in your personal affairs. Besides, I guessed it was either Mia or Anna telling you about…whatever girls talk about. Did any of them say something that bothered you?"

"I…umm…." She blushed. Could she really talk to him about this? "Sort of…"

"Oh?"

"They were talking about a guy their mutual friend met on the Internet and…"

"She should break up with him immediately." Leon cut her off, startling her out of her skin

"I didn't even say why…"

"No matter. She shouldn't talk to him, if she doesn't know him." He placed his book on the table "You were discussing whether she should continue talking to him, no? And you thought of what could happen to that girl if she fell in the trap of some womanizer. It was enough to make you sick, you should see that breaking up with him is the best choice."

"That's true, but…" she babbled "I…Well…he doesn't necessarily have to be a bad person, you know…"

"Let me tell you one thing, Sora…" Leon began "The Internet provides immediate connection with everyone, everywhere, and anytime, but the anonymousness does nothing to help people. In fact, it helps them bring out their inner demon. The person they wanted to become, but never could. It may be alright for some time, but when it gets out of hand it may turn them into someone they're not. It's safer not to engage into conversation with someone you don't know outside of the chat room."

She blushed and stared at her quilt. Why did he have to make her feel so tiny and insignificant? As if she was a little girl being scolded. She knew she had acted foolish, but did she really need to feel so bad? Nothing really happened, didn't it? Tears welled in her eyes, tears not of love, but shame and fear. Why did it have to feel like the entire world was crashing down on her?

Great, maybe she was PMS-ing after all.

Sora heard his approach and buried her face into the quilt. She just couldn't face him right now. If he had to be with her all the time, he'd have to satisfy himself with the ugly, undignified version of her.

To her surprise Leon didn't say anything. He just rubbed her back slowly, soothingly, in tiny, but strong circles. Slowly, her body relaxed and warmed and she felt confident enough to look up at him. There was no change to his facial expression, but there was so much kindness in his gestures that she couldn't feel intimidated by him.

Just like when she fought Layla for the part of Odette. Leon could've dropped her. One wrong move, one moment of incertitude, one time of distrust and she could end up dying. And yet she had trusted him. Just because she knew he wasn't that kind of person.

"That's alright…" he told her, and it felt like his composure had passed onto her because she nodded and said in a completely calm voice

"I know. It didn't happen to me."

"But you really felt for that girl, no?"

"I did." She nodded "But she'll make the right decision. I know she will."

"Good." He let out one his rare smiles and got up "Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thank you. Though I wish I could do something, I feel like such an inadequate host." Sora laughed, wiping her tears away hastily

"When you get better…" Leon said "I'll come over so that you could amend for that. Agreed?"

"Agreed!"

* * *

A/N-This authoress needs her readers. Since I'm soon going away to a place where I will not have access to the Internet, I was planning on making this chappie a part of my going-away update. However, since now I feel stricken, I decided that I would update this, and your reviews would make me feel better. So please review, and I'll do my best for an update before I leave! Which couples will you like to see in the next chappie?


	15. Chapter 15

Leon was woken up early on Friday morning by a loud beeping, the kind that one usually encounters in cheap plastic toys that come in cereal boxes and carry a stamp "Made in China". To his bewilderment (as his bio clock told him he still had a lot of time before his usual getting up routine), it actually took him some time to realize his surroundings and become aware of what was going on. Or, more precisely, of Sora who was desperately trying to turn off the alarm without waking him up.

Naturally, it was a little hard to do that, since the said alarm clock was on the table next to the bed and that Leon's entire body was stopping Sora from reaching over. Leon didn't know exactly what possessed him to listen to her, but now he was very, very thankful for the events that had led to him staying the night. Especially now that he got a look at that morning face: Hair in disarray, clothes crumpled, eyes bright and wide awake and that absolutely goofy grin she shot when she was caught doing something naughty…Now this was a face that left fluffy bunnies breathing dust with its cuteness.

Her efforts to reach for the clock had taken her to nearly sprawling across his chest, and the man suppressed the urge to smile as his own arm went over and shut the offending thing off. Now that the blissful silence was restored, though, the little problem about the inexplicable urge to wrap his other arm around her and bring her so close that she was practically molded against his body, and hold her like this until it was a more decent hour. Now wouldn't that be just perfect?

But there were several problems with that, starting from the reason why he had ended up staying tonight all the way to the one that had him in the girls dorm in the first place. Last night they had talked for so long that by the time Leon realized that the only way for her to relax and fall asleep was silence, it had been too late. Sarah had locked the door and since the dorm manager didn't particularly have any problem with him staying over, she hadn't taken the trouble of warning him that it was time to go. Naturally, an uncomfortable pause had followed and Sora had decided to fill it by turning on the TV.

And with his luck, it had turned out to be a dancing contest.

In spite of his contrasting nature, there was one thing that people always thought upon meeting him (other than egocentric bastard, that is). He had a way to carry himself that inevitably led everyone to take him as the sort of well-educated, handsome and gentlemanly persona they expected to see in castles, socializing with royalty and so forth. With his haughty attitude and graceful silhouette, he could pass as a prince and nobody would doubt it for a second. Truth to be told, on some basis, he covered the requirements-he knew how to enjoy fancy food, he was always immaculately dressed, and his hair, for some reason or another, was always perfect in spite of rain, snow and wind. On the stage, he was a God and he always managed to act out on his role (and lately, he didn't even have to act to portray the handsome beloved).

But those things were something he'd gotten used to take for granted-he excelled in what he was doing, he was good at doing it, so why should he not be properly paid for it? Why should he not command respect? It was natural. In contrast to others, Leon had preferred compensation for his efforts…that is, until a certain girl had shown him what it was like to feel the sheer enjoyment of performing.

He was fine with fine art and music because he had a calling for them, but activities like riding, polo and so forth were not among his favorites. Really, whoever thought that these should be considered the activities of a gentleman had to get his brain checked. Actually, he thought that it was ridiculous to vigorously follow a rulebook in order to look sophisticated, especially when the said book was actually a perverted version of medieval poems that literally said "Thou shall not wipe your mouth with the tablecloth". That, alas, included ballroom dancing.

Thanks to some Divine Joke or another, Sora seemed to find it absolutely incredible and she was practically glued to the TV until the horrid competition was over, and afterwards proceeded to tell him how wonderful she thought it was until he lost his patience and told her that he didn't particularly enjoy that sort of activity.

"_Why?" she asked, doe eyes going so wide that for a fraction of a second he actually regretted saying that "You perform every day, right?"_

"_Yes…"_

"_And you like it, right?"_

"_Yes…" Now I do, he added in his mind _

"_But isn't performing just like dancing? I mean, you move with the music, and you depend on your partner, and you make every moment seem magical! How can you not like dancing when you say you like performing?" _

_He sighed, realizing that it would take some serious convincing, something he was not prepared to do twice in an evening. "It is not the concept. But the people are far too close and my personal space is violated much too often for my taste." She gave him a look of disbelief, but then seemed to give it up in favor of an entirely different argument._

"_But in order to be so good on the trapeze, don't you at least have to be a good dancer? I take more ballet classes than I could count every week."_

"_In case you haven't noticed, ballet doesn't require so much…intimacy. At least not that constantly." He never learned to like it and he'd loathed every single second of the training his aunt imposed on him when he was young. Alan had saved him from the horrible fate of becoming a ballroom dancer, as it was the only form of entertainment his relatives approved of, but every single time he had to go through something like this had been nerve-shattering. _

"_How come? Lovers embrace all the time, and dancing is the embodiment of love. Are you against it because it's romantic?" still incredulous. Good God!_

"_Sora, it's rare that dance partners are really in love. And unlike acrobatics, you don't leave your life into the hands of your partner. I find that the emotional levels are often too shallow, at least for Standard, and having to experience this kind of closeness with someone you don't even like, but pretend to, is just something I cannot take on. And if that's not enough, the costumes are downright outrageous." _

"_But…" she sputtered "It's so pretty!"_

"_Sora, have you ever learned how to dance? Waltz, tango, quickstep?" seeing her shake her head negatively, he sighed "It's a lot more difficult than it seems, and it is quite frustrating when you and your partner aren't in perfect synch."_

"_Well, we are in synch when we perform…" she began "Would it be that hard if we tried dancing together?" Sora started getting up, trying to prove her point, but before she could step on the floor he picked her up and set her back in the bed again._

"_Don't you think that you should get better as quickly as possible instead of obstinately trying to make it worse?" he replied, looking pretty much like an outraged nurse. Sora giggled _

"_But it seems so fun! Why are you being such a spoil-sport?" then her gaze twinkled devilishly "Scared? Is a little tango too much for you to handle?"_

_He rolled his eyes. "After all this time, I think you should've known that I don't refuse to do anything because I can't, won't or don't want to. However, we have a production in less than two weeks and by Sunday we have to show Cathy something that will pacify her. We can't do that if your feet are still healing."_

_Sora pouted, and tucked herself in. "Will you at least give me a chance to try? When I'm better?" He gave her a look that almost said fine, and she apparently took it as a yes because she made a move to jump again. However, he saw it coming and promptly sat down on the bed, locking her between his body and the wall. _

"_Sleep." He commanded in what he hoped was a threatening voice, but it seemed to have the opposite effect, because, despite her obedience, she giggled and closed her eyes as if she thought that by obliging him she'd make him do as she asked. Honestly!_

Not wanting to fall into some trap she was preparing, he remained in that position until he made sure she was asleep. However, the long day took its tool out of him and before he knew it, he'd dosed off as well.

Oh, well, since they were up…He got on his feet slowly, suffocating a yawn and walked into the kitchen to give Sora some privacy and get some coffee ready for both of them. Honestly, why did she need to turn that alarm on anyway? She was sick, she needed all the sleep she could get! Although…if Sarah came in to check on her and found them in this position wouldn't be nice…How vexing!

On his part, there wasn't much to do. A quick brush of his hands through his locks, a quick look in the window glass and he was ready to go. At least it would do until he went to his place and got a clean change of clothes.

* * *

Sarah arrived at ten to "relieve" Leon of his charge for an hour to let him be human, and while the silver-haired man took his leave, she gave the apartment a careful look in the hopes of discovering what had happened. She knew well enough that Leon had stayed the night, but neither Sora, nor him gave out that something had passed between them. Oh, well…she'd have to ask.

"So?" it was the first thing she said when they were alone.

"So what?" Sora blinked, sitting in bed and tucking her freshly combed hair behind her ears. "Sarah-san, why didn't you come to warn Leon you were closing last night? He had to sleep over."

"Ah, forgive me, it must've slipped my mind." The singer bowed slightly "So how was it? Did anything happen?"

"Sarah-san?"

"Didn't anything happen?"

"We slept." Sora replied "Separately." Ok, that was a little white lie, but she had already understood what her friend was asking about. "Nothing happened."

"My…" Sarah drawled "You two are a strange pair. I mean, there is the tension, there is the attraction, but there's no action."

"Huh?"

"Oh, come now, Sora! Don't act like you aren't attracted to him!" the starlet didn't reply, most because she was too busy blushing to the roots of her hair "Don't tell me you think he's not interested in you!"

"Of course, Sarah-san! I mean…" she babbled "I'm not even a third of his ideal woman. I…I'm too plain and little and…we are so mismatched that it's impossible that we…"

"Oh, you silly girl!" Her friend laughed as if her reasons were wholly unimportant "Looks have nothing to do with love. Do you think that Kalos and I hit it off because of our faces?" Sora didn't reply because, quite frankly, she did. Sarah-san was so beautiful, the boss would've been blind not to notice. Err… "Physical attraction is fine to some point, but it cannot carry a relationship alone on its back. Before we became lovers, we were friends. We supported each other on stage and off it. I'm there for him when he needs me, and he appreciates me much more for that than my beauty. And as you know, he's not exactly easy to love, but I manage somehow."

Sora listened, feeling slightly silly. That sounded a little like what Leon had told her the other night too…but Sarah-san was implying that he liked her, in a way that was more than friendly. How could that be? Sure, he was looking after her without complaining, but really, that didn't mean he was…attracted to her. She really thought that when you loved somebody, you gave out more…distinct signs, and she told Sarah-san so.

"Please! Like Leon will go around with hearts and birds circling his head! Listen, Sora, the man is besotted with you, I'm sure of it! I mean, of course, he is grumpy, but haven't you noticed how incredibly patient he becomes when you are concerned? And he takes pains to be gentle, although it is not in his nature. For a man to change so much for a woman, he has to be head over heels in love with her."

But she couldn't see it. If that were the case, why hadn't he made a move? Why was he still talking in riddles, never telling her anything, and holding her locket hostage? Why couldn't he just be frank?

As if on cue, Sarah went on: "Believe me, it took me ages to get Kalos to show his feelings for me. In fact, he only voiced his sentiments twice-one of them was the time you made him confess that he was chasing me away for my own good."

"And the second?" Sora asked, but the martial artist answered with a veiled smile and pressed her fingertips to her lips, leaving the young girl to gape openly at her. "But…Leon-san and I…we are partners on stage. You know what it's like, when there is somebody with whom you work so well, and only that somebody can bring out the best in you…if Leon-san and I become lovers, wouldn't I jeopardize that relationship? I don't want to lose the magic we make onstage."

"Sora, if your bond deepens, it would only benefit your performance. Take Yuri and Layla for example! They are dating and they are burning when they go on stage. That sort of connection cannot be found anywhere else."

"But now they are fighting…" she began, reluctantly remembering the uncomfortable encounters with Yuri a few days back "And Cathy-san is scolding them even more than she used to scold Leon and May."

Sarah sighed. "Yes. There is always the risk of things falling out…"

"Then you know…you can see that I can't…."

"However, if we let the fear of losing rule our loves, we will never really understand what life is all about." Her friend finished "Understood?"

How could she do anything but nod at that?

* * *

Contrary to Ken's fear that May would go over the top that day (or, even worse, that she hadn't really meant it), the Chinese girl actually made a good impression on his family.

Although he always imagined that he would bring the girl home to meet his parents, he had to agree that May's idea to have them come over was better. Lately, his father was accusing him of working too much, and taking them on a tour around the stage in the after hours was a perfect opportunity for them to have a taste of what the life in Kaleido Stage was like. And then, invite them for lunch at May's apartment…

To her credit, she had actually cleaned up, taken away her performance pictures and replaced them with brightly colored jars and other arts-and-crafts creations, no doubt the work of her younger brothers. It definitely made things a lot more homely than they were, and a lot more inviting. The food was good, the conversation-light, May knew how to deal with his sister and luckily, his parents didn't bring up the bedroom incident. By the time the meal was over, she was already calling them by their given names and they seemed to have a kick out of it.

With the speed they're getting at, Ken thought, they'll be planning our wedding before the week is out.

The idea, however, brought back the thought about the ultimatum and he felt a little dread in his stomach. Although he was safe, and he really wanted to try and work something out with May, there was always a part of him that got worried about Sora. Yuri would get Layla back, that was certain, and Leon…Leon would definitely have to put all his cunning and dark magic to work in order to fulfill his part of it.

"Hey, don't space out on me!" May yelled and hit him with the sponge "Weren't you going to help me with these dishes?"

"Sorry…" he confessed, in all honestly "I just got worried about Leon…since Sora will probably be his date, I don't really want to imagine what means he'll use to get her to go out with him."

"Ah, yes…Although you know what they say, when two people go out on a date, they usually end up doing one thing. Making out just isn't good enough nowadays."

"What?!" Ken squeaked. Did Yuri and Leon know that? Did they make the bet with that in mind? Was he also supposed to do it? The thoughts raced through his mind and his face suddenly got the color of a ripe tomato.

"Are you alright?" May waved a hand in front of his eyes "Ken?"

"A…If we go out on a date…would we have to do that?" he sputtered, still blushing like crazy

"Pff…" May snorted "Don't be a ninny? Since when does that have to make people feel embarrassed?"

"Yeah, but…" Ken struggled with the words as if they were daggers "Aren't you…I mean…like…embarrassed? And…have you done this be…"

"Relax, I haven't." she said, waving her hand "I'm just saying that if you want to do it, you do it. It's neither that hard, nor dangerous. If you really want to bring pleasure to the one you love, then why don't you do it?"

"Yes, but…what about yourself. I mean…"

"Having sex is about pleasuring the other. You don't need a partner if it's about yourself. It's compatibility, freedom, trust…"

"And this is coming from a girl who hasn't tried it?"

"It's not that hard to figure out." She replied "Besides, who says I'm totally clueless about it?"

Blushing from head to toe, Ken decided to concentrate on drying the dishes she handed him. This wasn't a subject he felt like discussing with May, even though she was his girlfriend. Feeling absolutely ridiculous, he decided to find a way to worm out of it as quickly as possible, when he felt a pat on the back. "Listen, just because everyone else is doing it, you don't have to mimic them. If you feel like it, we'll do it, if you don't, we won't. Simple as that."

"Do all girls know this?" he said, grimly

"Only the smart ones." She said, leaned in and pecked him on the cheek "How about you first take me to a nice restaurant and we talk a little, and then we'll see."

He gave her a considering look, before saying:

"Deal."

* * *

A/N- *collapses* I did it. Without a minute to spare. Your update....ahhh

Sorry, folks, no more chappies until the end of the month, at least, my trip to Varna will be a long one and I won't have access to the net. In the meantime, read, review and enjoy SUMMER!

And for my poetry-check out my webside on my profile page-it leads to my fictionpress profile.


	16. Chapter 16

To date or not to date, that is the question. Sora flipped through her copy of Hamlet aimlessly, before tossing it away in exasperation. Understanding Shakespeare through his works was just about as hard as making Leon smile. All the while, this date talk with Sarah was messing her up dangerously. What was it about that woman that rendered Sora absolutely incapable of denying what she really wanted? Over and over again, the young starlet had tried to explain the reasons she had not to attempt and become more than friends with Leon, and every single time, Sarah had destroyed them.

"Do you want him? For five minutes, forget all the terrible things you don't want to happen if you two got together and then broke up, and tell me if you want him." The silence that followed seemed to fire her up "You see? You're not in fact afraid of breaking up with him even before you've even given yourselves a chance, you're afraid of being together in the first place. Why? Because it's not something you've done before. But Sora, sooner or later, you'll meet a guy that actually gets so much under your skin that being away from him is torture itself-then, you will want to be with him, and you might feel unsufficient for not knowing how to go about this."

Sarah always made things sound so simple, and making a difference between Sora's old-fashioned views and the modern ones was not any different than any other thing she'd done over the years. Young people date. It's a common occurrence, just like the activities that go with it. There is nothing weird or bad about it happening or not happening, but it's better if it happens because you're not missing out on important life lessons that can be learned through the ups and downs only a relationship can offer. If things don't work out, you bounce back and don't let it get to you. If things work out, you can go together towards more and more commitment, ending, of course, at best with growing old together.

Simple. Arranged marriage hadn't really been respected for about two centuries, so why should she be living with the old ideas that the best man for you is chosen by your parents. You forge your own destiny. Power to the women!

Only Sora couldn't even muster up the courage to ASK him to take her out, let alone brace herself for what was to come from this. Leon was…

"Fed up with Shakespeare?" he asked, picking up her volume of the plays from the table, where it lay open neglected on the 'To be or not to be' monologue. Sora blinked a few times, as if to process the happenings, before nodding, a little too late in response. Leon shook his head condescendingly, before settling down on his favorite chair right opposite her bed, and arranged two cups, a pot of coffee and some papers he'd gotten to look at from his flat while he was there.

Seeing Leon doing something, anything other than acrobatics, felt almost like a treat, at least to her. Whether he was cooking, or reading, or actually having a normal, two-sided, full-sentence conversation with her, it was so unusual that she felt giddy. He was more than a performing machine, he was a human. That alone gave her a little faith in the whole dating scheme, but she still had a long way to go before she even got there.

Today, he'd taken his correspondence with him, probably to look over them when she got sleepy. But since it seemed to attract her attention more than the coffee, he sighed and looked over the envelopes in a detached, uninterested way. Starting with the one that was more likely about business, he tore it open and started to read the seven-page rant his favorite aunt sent him.

"Do you often get letters like that?" Sora asked, looking curiously at the customized envelope and the elegant handwriting, with which Leon's address was placed.

"Whenever my aunt sees fit to inform me that my actions are a disgrace to the family." Leon replied, his eyes skimming the lines to find something substantial.

"You don't talk about your aunt much. Why not invite her to a show sometime?" She asked, clearly a bit puzzled that he omitted to send invitations to his relatives, now that he'd even made up with his previous partners.

"She finds acrobatics to be an activity that is reserved for adventurers." He sighed, putting the letter back in its place "Whenever she writes, she does it to reproach me for not putting my talent into a more dignified activity. You see, she has a dance studio, and wanted to make me and Sophie into one of her pet-penguin students. Needless to say that when we preferred to go to Alan than be around her, she disowned us and did everything that was possible to emancipate us."

"How so?"

"She made sure that I could take care of our financial affairs at ten and severed all ties with us, including the fact that she made us take up our mother's name so that we are not associated with her if a scandal occurs." He was surprisingly calm about this, Sora thought. Was it because he really didn't care? As if he read the question in her eyes, Leon went on: "As difficult as Alan's training was, Sora, I don't regret it. It's taught me a lot about fighting for what you want. And, as you know, I simply cannot stand ballroom dancing."

"Still, it's a shame your aunt can't see how wonderful you are doing now." Sora mused

"She has her own faults of character, just like I have mine. She won't see me until I go back to ballroom, but that doesn't stop her from sending letters like this to make me go back. I cannot stand her unfounded pride and her desire to make people feel they worth less than they are. We're both better off without the other." As he said that, he opened another envelope and looked over the message in it. Since that one was in English, Sora managed to catch a few lines in the end of it, and see the name.

"Is that from Emma-san?" She asked, curious to know if Leon had fully reconciled with his former partners

"Yes. She writes to tell me her Broadway performance had been a huge success and that I ought to regret that I stopped being her partner." Leon replied, with a hint of amusement in his voice "It's a good thing she's back to her old self. There was a time she was as grim as me."

Sora laughed. "Yes, that is definitely a good thing. But you sure get a lot of hand-written letters, Leon-san! Most people rely on the Internet for their correspondence. Even my parents, and they are a little old fashioned."

"Well, sending an enquiry after one's health is definitely easier through e-mail, especially when a letter from here to Japan takes at least a month to arrive." He said "But some news, I imagine, deserve to arrive written in hand. E-mail just doesn't feel as real."

"Yeah…" she nodded her head, before noticing an envelope that was conspicuously brightly colored, and which Leon promptly ignored. When he noticed her looking at it, he sighed and took it out slowly.

"Junk mail. We all have it."

"But it's addressed to you." She pointed out

"Then you have it." he tossed it over to her "I have your locket, it's only fair that you have something that is supposed to be mine."

"Gee, a locket for something considered junk mail, some exchange." She said, before looking at the sender. Something called IBS. Carefully opening the envelope, she was surprised when she found out a bunch of colorful cards next to the printed letter inside.

Apparently, IBS was short for the International Ballroom Society, and, as Leon was a member, they were sending him an invitation for the opening of a new studio called "Dance Kingdom", right there, in Cape Mary, for this Sunday. Official dress was obligatory, etc., etc.

"What are you doing, it's yours." Was his commentary when she tried handing him the invitations "There is no way I'll go there."

"Why not? If you've gone through the trouble of signing up…"

"My aunt signed me up for it, I had no saying in it."

"You promised you'll give me a chance to learn how to dance when I get better. This is the perfect chance."

"I never verbally voiced any promise."

"But you did promise, non-verbally."

"You are getting unreasonably difficult. I am a man of honor, and I've given this letter and its continence as a repay for taking your locket, and while it may not be a fair exchange, I swear that I haven't looked inside."

And wouldn't it be wonderful if he did, she thought sourly, before retorting. "Still, it's an invitation for two. Where will I find a partner at such short notice."

"I'll try to persuade anyone you point out to come with you, although my arguments for a rather feeble." He offered, in an attempt to redeem himself from the scorn

"Anyone?" she asked carefully

"Anyone."

"Fine. Pick me up at seven." She smiled victoriously, and put the tickets away in her nightstand.

* * *

Later that day, Leon wondered if this wasn't some sort of sign. Of course, he'd picked up on a few things these last days, from the girls' suspicious chatter to his behavior to Sarah's easygoing attitude towards his coming to look after Sora until she was better. If Sora had decided she wanted to go out with him, maybe there existed a far-out, one in a million shot that this could work. And right now, his, no, their chance was there, making itself available for them to catch it. And if he'd been capable of pulling this one off, he'd be able to deal with anything, correct.

He wasn't the least bit fazed the afternoon either, when Layla, after meeting with Sora in the afternoon, marched up to him to reproach him for asking her on an official date, knowing full well she didn't have a stitch to wear on such an occasion.

"If memory serves me correct, she was the one who ordered me to take her. The tickets were hers, after all."

"Don't play smart with me, Leon Oswald. Official dress really means official dress, and you know she doesn't have the time to go out shopping!" she exclaimed

"Luckily for her, you will, right?" Leon allowed himself a smile down at the fuming blonde

"Well, for your information, I do. And for the sake of everything sacred, Leon, please tell me what tie you'll wear so that your outfits would not clash."

"I promise that my shirt will not be in a pastel color, so that you can be free to choose whatever you wish." He replied, before drifting back into the room.

* * *

Ken was a miracle worker. Not twelve hours after May had suggested they go on dinner in order to do things "The old fashion way", he'd managed to procure a table at "La pomme dorée", a classy, but not too expensive French restaurant in the city. And, after squealing and jumping and hugging him (a very uncharacteristic outburst for her, but no man had ever tried that hard before), May bounded for the Mall, along with Layla, Cathy, Mia and Anna, who were out on a quest for Sora's perfect Sunday night outfit.

No one went on a date without having the entire crew know about it.

Sora had left herself entirely in the hands, which basically meant that Layla and the others could doll her up as they pleased without having a word of protest from her. Still, the fact that she was going to a place that required certain dress saved her from any…dramatic outbursts, which only pushed the others into exploiting the levels of cuteness this dress code provided to their best.

"How about this one?" Mia suggested, taking a golden strapless lame dress from the rack. "Just look at this skirt! I bet every step she makes would be a whispering mystery in the making!"

"Won't she be a little cold in this?" Kate asked "I mean, between the cab and the club she would have to go through the cold, right?"

"Can't we combine a pair of pants with some flashy shirt?" Anna said, looking at a jade halter top

"Too matronly, she needs something that will show off skin. Do you think passion-red would clash with her hair?" May asked, holding up a dress for their inspection

"Maybe the color's a little too bold, May, but overall, it looks like a good suggestion." Layla said

"Yeah, a little surprising with your former crush on Leon." Mia said, still frowning at the golden dress in her hands. Why did she have a feeling it would look great on…

"Hey, if Ken appreciates me enough to get such speedy reservations, Leon is worth nothing." May replied, before throwing the dress back in the rack "He actually introduced me to his family and treats me like a lady-I prefer this over Mr. High-and-Mighty anytime."

"Hey, what about this?" Cathy said, pulling out another outfit "Looks fitting, right?"

"You may be on to something. But how about we look for something with less ribbons?"

"Yeah, something that allows freedom of movement." Anna nodded vigorously "How about you, May? Won't you need a dress for your date tonight?"

"Of course I do. That's why I'm here." The former replied, inspecting the dresses hanging on the wall "But I already have something on my mind, not from this shop. You know, that one with the form fitting top and pencil skirt we saw on our way in?"

"That one's good." Layla nodded "One of the few benefits of having a figure like ours is that you fit into almost anything and look good."

"I should say. Although I'd have to pass through 'La Perla' afterwards. Nothing I own could be worn with a top _that_ fitting." May winked at the nearest person, namely Mia, causing her to trip and nearly fall on the floor, dragging a whole ton of clothes down on her. "What?" the Chinese girl asked, looking strangely dignified "You can't wear an outfit like that with any old bra."

"But…but…" Mia stammered "Wouldn't that mean that Ken would, ugh, you know, see it…umm….afterwards?"

"Not necessarily." May replied, not really looking to repeat the conversation they'd had yesterday about that "Look, we are dating, we are going on a date, and this is what people do after dates, when they feel like it, right?"

"No, this is what people in love do after dates if they feel like it." Mia said, looking just as indignant as May was dignified

"Are you suggesting we are not in love?"

"I'm suggesting you're doing this only to get over Leon's obvious attentions to Sora, and whereas I'm happy that you've ceased making illusions about a man who just refuses to acknowledge you, the fact that you are engaging into a relationship with Ken over something less than love can deeply hurt him."

"You think I don't love Ken? That I'm going out with him out of pity?" May was so stunned she actually forgot to rant about Mia being wrong about her crush on Leon.

"Well, if you think about it, that's just about how it looks like from the sidelines." Anna suggested, careful not to bring upon herself the joined fury of the two girls "Last week, you were going on about how hot Leon was, and last year, for the time you two were partners, and before, you didn't really try and hide your attraction to him. So, it's a little weird, you know, that you would go out on a date with a guy you didn't really give as much as a second glance before."

May looked down at the dress she was clutching to her chest, as if it was a shield that would protect her from their scorn. As true as that sounded, she did have reasons, and he had reasons, and both had a good reason to do this. A reason better and greater than the getting over past loves through a fancy dinner and a mind blowing event afterwards.

"It's not like that." She mumbled "He's gotten over Sora as well."

"Has he?" Anna looked suspicious "Because you know, we didn't really think anything happened between you two that time they found you…"

"Oh, shut up!" May threw the dress back in its place and placed her hands on her hips "Ken and I may not be in love, but that doesn't stop us from trying to be. That doesn't stop us from forgetting the other objects of our attention because we've grown used to the fact that there is no way in hell our feelings would be reciprocated, that doesn't stop us from trying to get to know each other better, and that doesn't stop me from wearing a goddamn sexy bra because we just might decide we like each other enough to go on and screw each other just like everyone thinks we are!"

Four sets of eyes blinked at her, and she realized she'd forgotten to breathe through the whole tirade. So while she was busy choking on huge gulps of air and Cathy was too busy patting her on the back, Layla, Mia and Anna had time to compose themselves. Finally, Mia said:

"I didn't mean to insult, May. I really didn't. But it was so weird that…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She said, shaking her head "It's weird, I know. No offence taken."

"Thank you. If this makes you feel any better, my own love life is failing terribly, and I'm not doing anything about it, while you are."

"Really? Didn't things go well between you and Aaron?"

"Yeah, but not between the Aaron you're thinking about." Mia replied, embarrassingly, and waited, cheeks burning with shame, for them to browse through the list of people named Aaron who worked backstage to get the answer.

"Oh. My. GOD! Marion's dad!" May half shrieked, covering her mouth with her hands, while everyone around her, but Layla, mustered up similar expressions "I don't believe it, Mia! That geezer!"

"He's not that old!" Mia defended herself meekly "He's not 15 years my senior."

"No, he's 14! Gods, Mia, he's a widower with a child!" Anna exclaimed, while looking around as if she was waiting for Marion to appear out of somewhere. "Good God, does SHE know? How long has this been going on?"

"Not much, just a few weeks. And it's not really dating, I just have a habit of staying up until late." Mia murmured "I took up working in the big top, you know, to get in touch with my muses, and since he was the last one to leave, we always talked. If he was working on something, I'd bring us dinner and we'd talk over it. He's not a cradle robber, he's really a very gentle person."

"I know that, but…isn't it a little weird?" Anna asked "I mean, you guys have a significant difference in age, and…"

"For goodness' sake, Anna, nothing's happened! Mr. Aaron's very strict on that, a real gentleman. He always made sure I went to the dorms in time, even walks me to the door!" Actually, as May and Anna started thinking about it, they had seen Aaron talk to Mia quite a few times, and had spotted him in the dorms once or twice, chatting with Sarah just as she was about to close, but never in a thousand years had they thought that there could be anything between the play writer and the technician of Kaleido Stage.

"But did you guys talk about this or…" Cathy prompted, and next to her, Layla craned her head in a silent inquiry

"Well…" Mia fumbled with the edge of her sleeve "He told me that he liked me very much, and I told him that I felt the same. Sometimes we hold hands, and he even kissed me on the cheek the day before Valentine's Day, and let me give him and Marion chocolates. He said he appreciates me a lot and that I'm really amazing for managing to go this far in just two years."

"That's very good, Mia." Layla commented "I'm sure that he really means it."

"I know he does." Cathy added "But if everything's just peachy between you, why do you think your love life is in the gutter."

Mia blushed "Well, it's not like this is a real…you know, relationship. Like…the two of us haven't kissed or acted like a couple in front of other people much, and sometimes he's going out of his way to act mean to me so that people wouldn't start talking. He still loves his wife, and I can't help feeling that if we…ugh…decide to be a…a couple, we'd be betraying her."

"That's understandable." Anna nodded "I mean, it's not like he can just turn his back on the past."

"Yeah. And we're both a concerned about Marion too." Mia said, her forehead wrinkling deeply with thought "How would she take it? Would she even try to accept me? I just feel like I'm trapped here, as if these late-night tête-à-têtes will be the best I'll ever have and I'd have to be content with it. And while I understand him perfectly and absolutely support him and feel horrible for feeling so happy when we are together….a part of me just wants more."

Those last words were uttered in such an unbelievably sad tone that Layla couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. She herself had been faced with the possibility of a step mother enough times to know how Marion might feel if her father and Mia decided to get serious, not to mention how hard it would be for them to try.

"If you really like him, you guys should continue like this, straightening your bond one step at a time…" Cathy began

"You needn't worry about coming out just yet." Layla said "As long as your friends know and offer you support, it would be alright, no?" May and Anna nodded vigorously at that "Maybe he should introduce Marion into your late-night ritual, though. She shouldn't feel singled out, and while it might make them a little less intimate, when you decide to tell her, it would soften the impact."

"It would, right?" Mia brightened up, and Layla couldn't help but smile. She really did care for the kid, even though she was in a very strange position right now "I'll suggest it to him immediately!"

"Whatever you do…" Layla warned her "Treat Marion like a grown person, not like a child. She thinks a lot of her mother and takes everything about her very seriously. You must make it clear that if things get serious, you won't be taking her place, but you're asking Marion to find a place for you as you in her heart. And don't hide things from her for too long-she will not be pleased by your protecting her just because she's a child."

Mia nodded, and as the group silently went back to searching for what they came for, May couldn't help but feel a little warmer. Although sharing her secret hadn't made things any better, it had shared the burden, and that was more than what they had accomplished ages ago. Though they would have to keep it from Sora…

"Hey, if you like that dress so much…" she suddenly said to Mia "Why not try it? It wouldn't kill you to take a look at how it would fit you."

"Really?" Mia stared at the golden gown in her hands "You don't think it's too flashy?"

"Please, that's old gold, that looks classy!" May exclaimed, and Layla backed her up on it by saying:

"Come along, Mia. Kalos promised to throw a party for my birthday next April, so you'll need an outfit for it anyway. Let's see if we can bring out another you."

* * *

A/N-Startled? I know I was. Honest!


	17. Chapter 17

Sora's eyes nearly budged out of her head at the sight of the box her friends disposed in her lap. Her gaze moved between the huge package and the identical, 100 carat smiles of their faces as a small feeling of dread bubbled inside of her.

"Thanks, guys…" she said, slowly running her fingers over the large red ribbon that adorned the box "But I thought you would only pick a dress for me…"

"It IS dress." May said "Just open it."

Hesitantly, she pulled the ribbon and took off the lid. For a couple of minutes, she studied its contents, before lowering the lid again on it, and then stared at her friends, her mouth opening and closing like a fish who was running out of air. "I…Is that…Err…What I…Umm…think it is?"

"Yeah." Mia exclaimed "Don't worry, Sora, we'll come here tomorrow and help you put everything on!"

"We'll explain how to take it off afterwards too." Anna added with a sly smile

"That's great, you guys, but I only asked for a dress…" She said, peeking under the lid again, to make sure this was all real. Honestly, she'd just asked for them to pick her an outfit to wear for one night, not a…a…whole prom ensemble.

"Yeah, we know. We looked for the dress, and found one that would look sinfully good on you, but then we decided that you probably don't have matching shoes, and then wondered if you had a purse for it, and then if you had a seamless bra…." Cathy waved her hands around, illustrating her words while Sora slowly turned the approximate shade of a ripe tomato "To make a long story short, we decided that you needed a lot more than a dress."

"Don't worry about the cost either." Layla intervened "We decided that this entire thing will be a joined present for your birthday."

"But my birthday was in November."

"As you so conveniently omitted to tell us." Anna scolded her "Aren't we your friends or not? You turned eighteen and you didn't even celebrate it!"

"I don't really like parties. Any crowded, loud event…" Sora defended herself "Honestly, guys, I'm sorry, but I'm just not the person who celebrates this kind of thing…"

"Yet you didn't hesitate to organize one for me." Layla said. "We will forgive you about that, but you must accept the present."

"And everything that goes with it." May added "Remember, Sora, you're going on a date with Leon Oswald, you better make the most of it!"

Again with the hints, Sora thought as she miserably resigned herself to her fate. Maybe, if she stopped thinking for a while, it would make things easier and more fun for all of them. After a while, Mia found something to do and everyone else, other than Layla found it necessary to follow her out to the door to see if she does it well. The two women remained together, the idol and the idolized. Perfect time for a little girl-to-girl bounding, but Sora just couldn't bring herself to speak on the subject. So she attempted conversation at another topic.

"Layla-san, will you and Yuri-san be alright with Midsummer Night's Dream?"

"Hmm?" The blond looked at her "What makes you think that we won't be alright?"

"Well…you guys have been really tense lately. And…I don't know. It's so hard for me to get into the part of Helena, I guess I started thinking that everyone else had similar difficulties. Cathy-san keeps NG-ing you and…I don't know. Is there something wrong between you two? You've been fighting all week, ever since Valentine's Day."

"Yeah…" Layla sighed "It's been a trying holiday. But it's not anything recent, Sora. We've been a little uptight lately, and his forgetting Valentine's Day was just the icing of the cake. I was having doubts about our relationship as a couple, on and off the stage. And on top of all, my former trauma doesn't do anything to make things easier for us. Maybe it would be for the best that we both got some breathing space."

"It's a shame. I've always envied you for having such a mature relationship, you know…." Sora sighed "You two are always so completely at ease with each other. It feels like you guys always know everything about each other."

"We obviously don't." Layla laughed "But…yeah. I guess it's because Yuri and I have been together a long time. We learn to read the signs."

"I wonder…" she drawled "If you guys…you know…umm…does the…err…"

"What?" Layla asked

"Does sex ruin a relationship?" Sora asked, and immediately slapped a hand over her mouth "Kami! I really didn't mean to say that! I just…just…"

Layla burst out laughing "Have the girls been filling your head with nonsense again?"

"Err…"

"It's the same every time." She sighed "You know, they filled my head with dating tips they'd gotten from the Internet today, all absolute nonsense. But then again, some years ago, I was just the same."

"Really?" Sora blinked, trying and failing to imagine Layla Hamilton as a frivolous, naïve teen. "How so?"

"Fresh out of a private girls' school, with my crazy dream, I thought I could take on the world. Luckily, I didn't show it much, but I was a real airhead. I had zero dating experience, and zero practice with men. The few dates I went out on quickly disillusioned me, but back then I was just as jumpy as Mia and Anna and May. Those girls aren't silly, Sora, they just have either little or no interaction with men in a romantic way. Their notions of love and sex are still pretty mixed up. On my part, I was reasonable enough not to sleep with the men I dated, which, by the way, turned out to be quite a good decision. When Yuri and I first made love, it was…" she sighed "I can't describe it. It was magical, in more ways than one, especially since before that moment our relationship was more or less professional. I didn't know what happened, but after that I couldn't regret what happened."

"So, you've never been with anyone else?" Sora mumbled "That's so romantic, Layla-san."

"Yeah. That guy is truly amazing in that area…" she laughed "But if we're truly not meant to be more, I won't be saddened. It was…still is, incredible, but maybe there is something out there, waiting for me, that will be even greater. Most starlets don't get much time to shine, Sora. I didn't waste mine with Yuri."

"But could it be that Leon-san is to me what Yuri-san is to you?" Sora asked "I know that our stories are similar, but I've never seen any traces of attachment on his part, not of the romantic kind anyway. But I'm nearly sure that after this date….I feel strange, Layla-san!"

"Because everyone is telling you that it should happen, and that it would be great?" Layla guessed "Sora, that has nothing to do with it."

"It doesn't?"

"No, it doesn't. In fact, it's quite the opposite."

"How so?"

"Look…" Layla sighed "You're both grown people, and there is nothing that anyone, especially him, could make you do unless you want to do it yourself. I admit, the first time I slept with Yuri, I wasn't entirely myself, but afterwards I just knew that it was something I wanted to do."

"But how can I tell the real thing from a simple hormonal overdose? Those happen a lot lately…" Sora mumbled

"It's not something you know, Sora." Layla said "You just…feel it. All people are empty in a way, and when the time is right, you feel that emptiness more acutely than ever. You wish to fill it with that person, it feels like you'd die if you're not with him. You feel like you belong together. Believe me, that's a feeling you cannot mistake with anything else."

* * *

Later that day, she was talking to Leon about something, when there was a knock on the door. Her partner went over to open it, and to his great surprise, found Ken standing there, in a semi-official black suit, half strangled by the tie he was trying to fix around his neck. The silver-haired man didn't say anything about that, but it did amuse him to imagine the looks Ken had gotten while trying to come here.

"Please help me, Leon-san…" the boy whined "This thing is killing me, and I have to pick May up in ten minutes."

"Alright, alright…" he was already undoing some of the more persistent knots around his fingers. Carefully, he led him in the corridor and shut the door with his foot, while prying his fingers from the silky material. Slowly, Leon smoothed the tie, before buttoning up Ken's shirt, sliding the piece of material under the collar, and tying it in a loose knot right underneath his chin. "There, all done."

"Thanks." He sighed "The things people do for women! I don't even know why she insisted on the coat and tie thing! I mean, it's an informal restaurant, they won't exactly ask us to look like we're going to the Vienna Philharmonics!"

"If you went to the Vienna Philharmonics, you'd need a lot more than just this." Leon stated, dusting away one of the sleeves that had somehow acquired a fine layer of white powder from the walls "And you shouldn't complain. Women appreciate it when you look sharp for a date."

"You're saying that, but it appears that I'm the only one who is going somewhere." Ken murmured under his breath, before adding quickly "I didn't mean to pry, but…Is Sora awake?"

"She is, but I don't think she can hear us."

"I just…I wanted to ask you something…since I'm pretty new to this…what am I supposed to do?"

"Offer her your hand, but don't squeeze it, not until the second part of the date." Leon answered immediately "Be nice, but don't open doors or pull a chair out, that's the job of the waiter. Don't order anything that even remotely sounds like escargots. Or any pasta. And take her on a walk after the meal instead of waiting for the coffee, it's more refreshing."

"Thanks…" Ken loosened his collar gingerly, taking a deep breath "Gods, I don't know if I can do this, Leon-san…I mean, I know I'm supposed to be doing it, but I've never imagined myself doing it with May before. I'm freaking out…."

"Look, if you want the date to work, it'll work. It's really that simple." Leon replied, unlocking the door and holding it open for Ken to pass

"But what if I don't? What if, subconsciously, there is a part of me that doesn't want this to happen, and it'll sabotage the entire evening!"

"You're already worried about what this date, that means you want it to work." Leon patted him on the back "Trust me, if you look at this plainly, you'll realize that it's just a meeting between two people. Once you figure it out, it'll become much easier. Now go!"

* * *

"Ken's really nervous about his date with May, isn't he…" Sora stated when Leon came back into the room. The Frenchman didn't answer, opting for a sip of his coffee to clear his head. The black liquid burned his tongue and throat, both with heat and bitterness, but it was enough to take him back to reality. Slowly, he turned around to look at his partner.

"Yes, he is." He nodded

"Something tells me that they'll work out fine. Layla-san says that if two people want to be together, they'll be together no matter what."

"Hmm…" he nodded, while gathering some plates from the table "Are you done with that?"

"Yeah, thanks." She said. Suddenly, she sat cross-legged in the bed and looked at him "Thank you, Leon-san."

He paused, glancing over his shoulder at her. She looked strangely determined to look serious, although in her pink and purple striped pajamas that was a little difficult task. However, Sora always used that tone when she had something important to say, and he wasn't going to start acting like he didn't know that already. That girl…

"What is it?" Leon sighed, putting the dishes away and returning to his seat. Sora opened her mouth, probably with the intention to protest, but he cut her off swiftly "Don't act silly, I know you want to say something. Just get on with it."

Well that's comforting, she thought, what am I supposed to do now? Suddenly, her courage evaporated under his searching gaze. She wanted to shoot the question straight out, maybe catch him by surprise, so he'll probably ask if he'd heard right, giving her an excuse to throw a more innocent variation of it. However, as she somehow predicted, Leon was always on alert, and always ready to answer. So she just said meekly: "Doesn't matter.", hoping that he'll let it drop.

Unfortunately, it only peaked his curiosity. Leaning in, Leon examined her face carefully, before slowly putting together all the pieces of information he had. Namely-the visit from the girls, Sora's asking him to take her out sometime and teach her to dance, and her rather strange behavior this week…strange, as in a little stranger than his.

"Does this perhaps have something to do with tomorrow?" he asked, knowing full well that she knew what about 'tomorrow' he was talking about.

"Err…yes." She paused "We're only going to the opening thing, right? It's not…classified as a date, right?" after that, her words started to flow faster, as if she was relieved about getting that part over with "It's just that everyone is making such a big fuss out of it, and we're really partners, and I'm sorta worried that they might get some strange ideas, so I need you to back me up on this, because you know, you're really not known as a dater around here, and they are all talking about how weird it is, and Mia even asked me to share my secret, which is weird because I don't have a secret, and there isn't really anything for me to brag about…"

Leon held up a hand to stop the flow of words, and, not unexpectedly, they ceased immediately. Sora blinked owlishly at her partner as he rearrange his facial expression in synch with his thoughts, wondering if she'd caused him to completely lose hope in her, until he finally spoke:

"So basically, your friends are putting a lot of pressure on you, simply because they are interpreting our going out tomorrow for something more than it is."

"Yes."

"And you're trying to find something to help you counter them, so that you wouldn't succumb to the said pressure, and that's why you're asking me about it."

"Yes."

"Well, you better stop it right now. There isn't anything that you could say to counter them because they're absolutely right."

"Oh, thank you!" She nodded, feeling giddy with relief that he understood. And then her brain processed his words. "Wait, what did you just say?"

Leon moved from his seat to her side, placed a hand on either side of her now outstretched legs and leaned in so much that there wasn't more than span between his face and hers. And then he started to talk.

"I said that they're absolutely right. Tomorrow night is a date and you will treat it exactly the way people treat dates-you'll be nervous, freaking out, making yourself pretty and forgetting the most basic of things. We'll go to that opening as a couple, where I will introduce you as my date to everyone I know, and you will agree with me. I must inform you that the pressure you're feeling right now is just a tenth of the real thing, and just to make things absolutely clear, I'll put this plainly-I'm not taking you out of some obligation, or even because I feel bad for stealing your things, which, by the way, I am most certainly not; I will take you out because I've been wanting you like crazy ever since the first time I realized that I can't break you."

Sora's eyes went as wide as saucers, and her mouth was opening and closing soundlessly, like as if someone had muted the volume. Finally, she croaked out:

"Really?"

"No." Leon snapped, getting up abruptly and ruffling her hair with one of his hands

"But…" She started, before realizing that it was better off is she didn't open her mouth. Leon gathered up the plates and headed for the kitchen, but he paused and turned towards her.

"In French literature, symbolism was a movement created by a bunch of drugged, drunken lunatics. If you studied it, you wouldn't put so much value in symbols. Instead of worrying so much, you should just enjoy life without its many complications."

"But…"

"Your friends have no idea how things stand between the two of us." He went on "There wasn't a single thread of truth in what I just said, but you couldn't tell if I was lying or speaking from my heart because you listen too much to what they're saying. Don't. Stop. Take a deep breath and look at the situation as you, not as Layla Hamilton, or anyone else. You'll see things how I see them."

She already had. But how could she possibly tell him that even she didn't know how things stood between the two of them? Instead, she clawed on another, less offensive part of his speech.

"Why did you think I was thinking like Layla-san?"

"Aren't you?" His voice came from the kitchen, and a few minutes later he reappeared on the door frame, arms crossed over his broad chest. "You're always looking to be like her, to fulfill her expectations. One of the things that irked me from the very beginning is why you're always trying to make her like you."

"What are you talking about?" she wondered, while a spark of anger started to grow into her "Didn't you already give up on hating her already? You apologized for saying she was a half-hearted performer long ago."

"I did. That's not the point. You're trying to become her equal to the point of being a miniature copy of her. Layla-san this, Layla-san that. I can't understand why you're trying to be her, when there isn't a single thing in which you haven't bested her yet."

She blinked a few minutes, processing the information. Then, to his surprise, she smiled.

"I get it, Leon-san. You're worried that I'm burying my personality for the sake of gaining her approval."

"You can say that." He relaxed a little "Layla Hamilton has proven her worth, but you're better than her."

Sora fumbled with her quilt. "But there are things she is and I'm not…things I wish to be…"

"To whom should we look up to for an example, when they are just as flawed as we are? The only difference is that we're flawed in different ways." Leon said "The question isn't how perfect we are, it's about the things we don't wish to be imperfect in."

"Beautifully said." Sora nodded, slipping under her quilt. "Leon-san…thank you."

For a while, he stood in the door. Then, he smiled "You're welcome."

* * *

A/N-Let me make this clear for those of you who haven't understood yet-I love reviews! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update. So please REVIEW! PLEASE!

On another note, since I'll be a senior this year (oh, the gut churning horror), and I don't particularly plan on staying in my home country (Bulgiarian education is bad), I'm looking for people who are already undergraduates or postgraduates or anything, hopefully in law, who can explain to me how it feels because I, like Sora on sex, get very sketchy answers that don't really satisfy me. So, folks, there is PM, email, etc, somebody WRITE!

On a third note, there is another Kaleido Star fic I've written on this site, "No Happily Ever Afters", a Layla/Yuri fic although there will be some other couples showing up there in the future. It's not my usual cup of tea, but I hope you'll give it a look anyways, when you decide to kill time.

On a forth note, look up **"Shadowed Dreams"** by **_Royal blueKitsune_** and be **_amazed_**! And then listen to **"Orchard of mines"** by **_Globus_** and be **_amazed again._**

On a fifth note...guess who's turning eighteen on the thirteenth, people!

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

Luckily for both of them, Ken had managed to struggle into his coat-and-tie without tangling, strangling or otherwise damaging himself. He was standing in front of her door, sharp in his suit and as handsome as ever, two minutes late of the appointed hour. Ok, not too bad…

She opened just as he raised his hand to knock, said a hasty 'hi', grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out before any of the other occupants of the floor could get an opportunity why May Wong was meeting Ken Robbins, or why Ken Robbins was carrying something that suspiciously looked like a corsage in his hand. It wasn't until they were out of the dorms that she accepted the rather messy flower arrangement from him and gave him a gentle peck on the cheek as thanks.

"News spread fast." Was the only explanation she gave for her conduct, and he could only nod at that, because while they were making their way to the road to catch a cab, it felt like every occupant of both dorms had gone out to look at them. On their way up the hill, they caught sight of Marion, talking to her father and Mia as the three were heading for the mess hall. Ken didn't know what made his companion smile the way she did, but he couldn't help but smile in return. He'd read somewhere that one arranges their facial expression to match the one of the people around him.

It was drizzling when they were driven to the city, and the first heavy drops of rain were staring to fall just as the two of them walked in the restaurant. Ken looked at the sky with concern, wondering it this wasn't some sort of gentle hint the Heavens were sending him, but he soon ignored it when he let himself be engulfed in the atmosphere of the place.

Unlike the stereotypical French restaurants with bright lighting, snotty waiters and sky-high prices, "La pomme dorée" was a softly lit cabaret that wasn't much different than most places people went on a Saturday night, with the slight difference that they really had nice wine. A good plus to it was that it didn't have an official dress code, much to Ken's relief. He was about to tell all this to May, but she was just shrugging off her coat, and he decided to shut up. Luckily for him, during her shopping trip she had decided to give up on her former choice in favor of a knee-length flowing dress in white with a blue floral pattern. In addition, her hair was finally free from its usual style, flowing freely down her back into an ebony waterfall.

She looked refreshingly different from her usually aggressive dressing style, and he finally felt like he was on a date.

"Shall we?" Ken asked, offering her a hand and led her inside.

* * *

Yuri, on his part, was having a damnable night. Sora's injury had thrown her, literally, into Leon's arms, and he couldn't even talk to her, let alone ask her out without having to go through him first. Damn, he was going to lose that freaking bet, and it was his stupid pride's entire fault!

Why was he even thinking of Sora? He had exactly one day to find Layla and make up with her, but how could he even try and do when she didn't let him close. She absolutely hated him, he just knew it! Although, he reasoned, sitting in this bar, getting more and more drunk by the minute didn't do anything to solve this predicament.

Damn it! He would just have to sacrifice himself. How else could he survive through this?

Pulling his phone out, he quickly dialed her home, knowing full well that she wouldn't pick up her cell even if she was feeling generous. After the third ring, a maid picked up. "Hello, may I speak to Miss. Hamilton?" he said, trying his best to sound sober and stable.

"Mr. Killian?" the girl squeaked "Why do you need to speak to Miss. Hamilton?"

"That's our business." Yuri snarled, before adding in a calmer tone "If she's being stubborn, tell her that this is about something bigger than both of our prides…please."

"I…I would, sir, but I…"

"Oh, what? Did she threaten to fire you? I'll hire you, God Damn it, just make her come to the phone!"

"Mr. Killian, I'm not being a coward here. Miss. Hamilton is truly not home."

Yuri groaned and ran his free hand through his hair. Ok, so maybe she was still out, in eleven in the evening, probably with Cathy and a bunch of guys…It was an option, after all. "Alright, can you tell me where she is then so I can find her? It's important!"

"In the mansion in Eagle Rock." The maid replied.

"Now I know you're lying!" He yelled "What the hell should Layla be doing there at this time? There's nobody in that place that she needs to meet, and I know she was here this morning! When did she go? Ten minutes ago?"

"Actually, she had the family chopper pick her up two hours ago." The girl replied in a slightly colder tone, an expected response to all his yelling "She got some news that requested her immediate departure."

"Oh, really? And, pray, what may those news be? What made her travel nearly 500 kilometers to Eagle Rock, unless it's a secret?"

"The master had had a heart attack." Came the reply "Miss had to leave immediately."

Yuri eyed the phone, dumbstruck, and hung up abruptly. He had Kalos on quick dial, which made the next call much faster than the latter. "Kalos, what the hell is this I'm hearing about Layla's father having a heart attack at Eagle Rock?" he shot out, without even bothering with introductions.

"Excuse me?" the owner of Kaleido stage asked

"Ha! I knew it! That maid was lying to me!"

"A heart attack would indeed be a tasteless joke…" Kalos said "If it were one."

Yuri paused. "So…it really is true?" he finally asked "She went there?"

"Yes. She called me as her luggage was being assembled. Apparently, her father went to spend some time in the mountains and the sudden change of climate turned out to be the last drop for him. I got another call from her a while ago, to tell me the news. The doctors said he was stable, but she is going to stay with him there until necessary. We'll have to delay Midsummer Night's Dream for a while, until he's better, at least."

"Of course…" Yuri mumbled

"I'm sure that the news won't take long to spread through the media." Kalos went on "So the clients won't be too upset by this setback. It'll give Sora more time to perfect her role. But I'm rather surprised that you don't know about this, Yuri. I half expected you to be there with her."

"Yeah, I know…" He said, quickly throwing a few bills on the counter and exiting the bar. The freezing air outside sobered him out faster than anything before "Thank you, Kalos. I really appreciate it."

"Yuri…Are you drunk?" the owner asked, and since the boy didn't reply, the older man sighed "You know what she thinks of this, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't make unsightly scenes in front of me." He said, quoting Layla for the umpteenth time this week "We've just…been having some rough times lately."

"I could tell that myself." Kalos noted sourly

"Don't get started on me yet. You've also had your bad times, Kalos."

"I wasn't planning to pick on you. Just promise that you won't sit behind the wheel in this condition, Yuri."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll sober up." He said, hanging up abruptly for the second time this evening. Then, he marched into the first café he saw, ordered himself three espressos that he pounded one after the other, ignoring the pain and heat, striving for the clearness of mind that he needed to get into his car.

Kalos was right. Everyone was right. What was he doing here, instead of being by the side of the one he loved?

* * *

"It's a wonderful night, isn't it?" May exclaimed as she and Ken were walking back towards the dorms. In spite of the cold weather, they'd decided to 'walk the food' and had omitted the cab.

A great idea, he thought as he followed her gaze upwards. The sky was unusually clear, and in its dome was so starry that it felt like it was permanently covered with glitter. The innumerable stars shined with a distinguished, cold light that seemed to fit this February night so well. Ken looked back at May who had decided to climb on one of the walls that separated the sidewalk from the park. She was not Sora, definitely…nobody was Sora but Sora herself. But he hadn't felt so relaxed in somebody's company in a long time. The fact that it was May made it even more stranger than it was already was. In fact, it was just about as strange as…

A clear, starry night in February.

"It is, indeed." He finally replied, offering her a hand as balance. May promptly refused it by running ahead of him by a few steps.

"You don't have to hold my hand all night." She said when he finally caught up with her "I won't fall from here. It's too wide for me to lose my balance."

"It's easy to forget that." Ken retorted "You have that effect on people."

"You're referring to the fact that I ate so much, don't you?" she smacked him across the head "I burn a lot of calories, Kenny. I need fuel to do all my Amazing Maneuvers."

"I wasn't referring to that." He defended himself "But now that you mention it, I can't help but wonder what you have under that dress. It was pretty close fitting."

"So you liked it?" May beamed. "I wasn't sure about it, but then I told myself, why the hell not!"

"You ask yourself that a little too often, I think." Ken said "But yeah, I like it." she sped up her pace, leapt over a crack in the wall, pivoted and landed on the other side gracefully. "Aren't you a little too energetic?"

"Like I said, I've got calories to burn." She stated calmly, striking an arabesque. For a while, he watched her improvise, twirling in this cold, glittery sky like a comet without a goal. Finally, he applauded. May proficiently bowed, before resuming her normal course.

"Why are you not looking for a partner again?" Ken asked her, when he caught up with her

"I do have a partner. Rosetta." May replied calmly "Besides, until this week, I was harboring these secret hopes that Leon-san would finally realize my many qualities and ask me to be his partner."

"He's Sora-san's partner." He pointed out

"I know." She sighed "But I was hoping that I was wrong again."

"Again? It's not like you to acknowledge mistakes, May."

"You don't even know what I'm acknowledging, Ken." She waved her hand lazily "See, at first, both me and Sora thought that in order to be the Kaleido Star, the True Star, we had to become Leon-san's partners."

"But that is true. Only he knew how to make the Angel's Act true." He argued

"Ah, but to whom was he willing to teach it?" May shook her fingers in front of Ken's nose "I couldn't ad lib, so Sora went through the steam house training he put all his partners through. She, on the other hand, couldn't figure out a move for the Festival, whereas I could. He took whichever one of us suited his standards, but in the end, neither was good enough. I was the Top Star for a while, but I was not the True Star, and even then, he would not acknowledge me as his equal. And even when he showed that he only valued Sora enough to call her his partner, the perfection of the Angel's Act was ultimately her entire doing. She was the one that outdid Layla-san in it."

For a while, both walked in silence. "Did Sarah-san tell you about the proposition Sora got from Edward? That's lucky, right?"

"I don't think she'll accept."

"If he extended his invitation to me and Rosetta, I would go, definitely." May said "To study in New York is going to be a real adventure. It would make my performance here even better. But since it won't happen, I'll stay here and perfect my performance from here. Until now, only Rosetta's been able to really work with me like a partner."

"Hmm…"

"I've heard that you were also really good in your heyday, Ken." She turned to him

"I used to be good, but I would have never come close to Yuri-san, or Leon-san." He said

"Can't you even try? I mean, do you really have no hope of going out there again?" May asked, stopping in her tracks. In response, Ken just stood in front of her and extended his hand. She took it and jumped from the wall…only her feet didn't hit the ground. A millisecond after she was in the air, she felt his grip on her hand tighten, while his other hand grabbed her waist and held it up. Before May could tell what was going on, she was flying above his head, much like Baby from "Dirty Dancing", only Ken had somehow managed to do it with one hand.

Her body, without consulting her brain, automatically went into performance mode. Every muscle in it tensed and her torso arched forth slightly in an attempt to compensate for the misbalance between the two halves of her body. When Ken moved to lower her, she let her legs wrap around his hips while her hands locked behind his neck. For a second, she stayed like this, waiting for her heart to settle down, completely aware that she was hugging Ken Robbins, and that the feeling wasn't even half as bad as she expected it to be.

Slowly, she looked up at him and was surprised to see him look terribly serious. "I'm not an invalid, May. I can lift things almost twice my weight, and still not have any trouble with my heart. The thing is, when you go on the trapeze, you suddenly feel like you can take on the world. To me, this condition is beyond reach. Sometimes I regret it, but most times I find other ways to be on stage, and I'm satisfied."

"Lucky you…" she mumbled "I could never do that."

And then, without thinking, and almost without breathing, they moved closer until there was virtually no space between them, and he pressed his mouth on hers, into a kiss he'd imagined so many times with another girl, but that felt so much better with this one. Suddenly, they were crashing against each other, arms searching, holding on, as if they couldn't get close enough, as if they could not get enough. May, who maintained that kissing would not feel good unless if it was with someone like Leon-san found herself absolutely smitten by this boy, this young man who was nothing like the one she had been dreaming of, but erased him from her mind until all she could do was want.

As they pulled away, it occurred to him that they had never really looked at each other in the face. When they talked, they usually stared at this point near the person's ear, as if it was some sort of breach of private space to look at someone directly. Now, however, they stared at each other, incredulous and oblivious to the reasons why the hell had they just done this; they wondered what possessed them to be with someone wholly unlike the one they lived, and came up with nothing; they stared and stared, until they lost track of time, and only when they finally started walking again did they realize how oblivious they had been to something that they would have, could have, and should have appreciated long ago.

* * *

A/N-So? What do you think? Has any of you checked out my other story, No happily ever afters?

* * *


	19. Chapter 19

Waking up on Sunday morning, Sora felt strangely….stuffy. She was warm of course, mostly due to the two rows of quilts thrown over her, but she also felt a little down. A little…limp.

One glance at the clock told her it was too early to even consider getting up, yet she couldn't contain herself any longer. Being in bed for three days had made her feel exceptionally lazy, and that wasn't good. Carefully, she got out of bed and, content that there was no stabbing pain into her feet as she walked, she ventured into performing a small pirouette. Pleased with the result, she headed for the kitchen to make herself some breakfast when she passed the mirror and she froze, dead in shock.

Breakfast could wait, she thought as the panic engulfed her, she had to take a shower, now! How could she let herself go so easily anyway, she looked like a scarecrow, with a haystack as hair to match. Honestly, how could she have let herself go like that? Especially with a date on the way! Yes, a shower, right now. She'd probably have to cut her hair a little to get rid of the split ends too. That would require a little trip to the kitchen for a shaving mirror and a pair of scissors, but she had to do it as quickly as possible. Stripping from her clothes so that she wouldn't get the tiny hairs to tickle her later, Sora wrapped a towel around herself and headed for the kitchen.

She walked in, gathered the things she needed, turned, stared, suppressed a shriek and settled for a tiny squeak of surprise. Because there, sprawled across her kitchen table was Leon Oswald, his head cradled in the crook of his arm while the other was outstretched in front of him as if to ward off some unpleasant nightmares.

Sora made extra care not to make any noise as she approached him, but wasn't too quick to leave the room. A little voice told her that this was probably not the best idea, since she knew for a fact that he was an early riser and waking up to the sight of her in a bath towel was going to be unnecessary surreal to him. But, she scoffed, they were both performers, and he had most certainly seen her in outfits that left even less to the imagination than what she had thrown over herself for decency's sake. Ok, so _maybe_ she was pretty much naked underneath her towel, but she was naked underneath her clothes too. She wouldn't back down on the chance to see the almighty Leon Oswald sound asleep and absolutely irresponsive, defeated by the need to rest.

Then again, she thought, it was pretty much her fault that he was so tired he'd preferred the table to his cozy bed. It might be too late for that anyway, she thought, as she left her items on the counter and went to her room to take her blanket off the bed, but it's better than never. She knew that people were more prone to colds in the mornings, and, now that she thought about it, she could easily whip out a cup of tea for him while she was at it. Humming to herself, she quickly launched into her morning routine, brewed some green tea and left it on the counter in front of him-not too far out of reach, but certainly not in the way of his hands lest he decides to stretch before opening his eyes.

This ought to do it, Sora thought to herself as she reached over and tugged the blanket around his broad shoulders. Almost instantaneously, one of his hands shot out and grabbed her by the wrist, and this time Sora _did_ yelp, but this time, with pain. Leon, noting the sound, only squeezed her hand tighter, and his eyes cracked open barely, looking straight at her.

For a moment, both froze, she in shock, he…was probably still lost in his dreamy haze, but Sora could swear that, for a split second, there was awareness flashing into those deep violet eyes. Then he mumbled something softly, and let got of her, eyes drifting shut again. Even his hands dropped into their previous position-if it weren't for the throbbing in her wrist (and the even more pronounced one in her heart), Sora would have never thought that he had moved at all.

Quickly dispelling the idea to stick around long enough to watch, she slapped her clothes on and got out of the flat. She'd shower in the gym before she started warming up.

* * *

"Training with a wet head and two bruised legs, are you out of your mind?" Leon's voice cut her off just as she was about to do a pirouette. Luckily, he had the good graces to do it before she launched into it, otherwise she might have stumbled over both her legs. Instead, she slowly straightened up from her plié in the forth position and put her feet in the fifth, as if the finish, and then loosened her stance.

"Actually, my hair isn't wet, Leon-san. I blew-dried it before I came out." She replied cheerfully, purposely ignoring his pointed looks.

"Exactly which part of "You're injured, you should rest" didn't you understand, Sora?" He looked seriously pissed off, but she couldn't determine whether it was for falling asleep on her table of not waking up quickly enough to catch her hasty retreat. It was true-Sora had made it to the gym, showered, changed into her usual training outfit and managed not only to warm up, but to seriously practice a good deal of her routine on the ground. She'd been thinking about trying out on the ropes too, but she'd changed her mind, deciding that she'd need her strength for tonight.

Leon was barely resisting the urge to bury his face into his hands and groan, but like many a times when he'd been tempted to do so, he reminded himself that showing such weakness was unnecessary. He just let out a sigh, taking in her appearance. Maybe, he thought, he'd been too quick to criticize her. She'd been bristling with unspent energy since yesterday and he knew that she barely suppressed her urge to get up and do something. Actually, she looked better now than she was in those hours spend in bed. The dancing had brought out the color in her cheeks, and she looked much calmer, much more relaxed, much more…reluctant to ask unnecessary questions.

He let out a tiny smile. Maybe…just maybe, tonight was not going to be different than what he was afraid it would be. Shaking his head, he went over to the benches and motioned Sora to come closer.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, and gestured her to sit down a little. She complied, but he preferred to stay standing, one hand applied on the wall…

"What is it?" she asked, looking up at him "Is something wrong? About…tonight? Did something come up?"

"No." he shook his head "We're still going. But…I need to warn you about something."

Sora craned her head slightly, question written all over her face. Taking a deep breath, he said: "Look, as you might have noticed, my feelings towards ballroom dancing are…not so cordial." She chuckled at that, nodding, before letting him continue "And you might have guessed that I have had a brief, but wild period. I didn't leave that world in a particularly nice way…"

"You were nine…" she pointed out with no little amount of amusement.

"Yeah, well…I was old enough to cause my aunt to throw a tantrum. She told me that if Sophie and I wanted to ruin our lives as circus acrobats, that was fine with her, but if we ever came to our senses, we could go back. After that, parties such as the one we are going to are constant hints that we can still go back, and maybe…." Leon shook his head "The point I'm trying to make is, there will be quite a few people there who will not only be pleased to see me there…chances are, they would definitely see that I'm thoroughly humiliated. Not…anything terribly brutal, mind, but it would definitely be something that neither I nor you will like."

"So?" Sora blinked "I'm not sure that people would waste that much effort on us. Besides, it was ages ago-who would remember?"

"My aunt." He pointed out in that sour, Mr. Darcy tone that made people roll on the floor with laughter "I'm glad you find the humor in this, however, I am completely and utterly serious. She never forgets, and she will make sure that everyone and anyone she knows will not forget either. They will not strike at me openly, but they will try to wound me, and they are likely to do it through you. You should be prepared for that, mentally."

"Don't worry. I managed to stay around you when you were a walking icicle and smile, how hard would it be with those other people?"

Leon stopped himself from cringing just in time. Oh, she HAD to remind him what an asshole he'd been before, didn't she? "A room full of people just like me? Are you sure?"

"I can handle it. But…if you don't want to go…" Sora trailed on "If I go alone, I won't attract attention, right?"

"You're right, but I won't let you go alone." He said "If I don't tell them off right now, they'll keep on pestering me. Besides, it's not like I can't prepare you for what's going to happen there."

"I'm already mentally prepared! I'll set myself for a thousand guys who are just like you at the beginning."

"And women as well. That means you cannot seek refuge and understanding in the bathroom."

"I won't falter!"

"Good…good." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Now that I got that half out of the way, and we have a good day ahead of us with no practice at all…which means that we'll have to get to work for the other thing we have to prepare for."

"What?" she asked. This time, he smirked.

* * *

To say that Yuri's driving was reckless was an understatement. He was benefiting both from a lot of money and an in-build cop radar that worked amazingly. But he was not a danger to society, no. He was reckless in a calculated way that never truly exceeded speed limits and never hit anyone. If he was going to kill someone, it was probably himself…but he'd never been that concerned about his heath anyway. Thus, the drive to Eagle Rock, which would have taken him more than six hours with the rocky road and nearly no highway, only took him four. It would've been less, but he did stop once to apologize to a farmer for nearly running over his goat.

The chi-chi ski resort was located conveniently a mile away from the main road, but Yuri, having been there once with Layla, left his convertible in a parking lot in the nearby village and walked the rest of the way. What he didn't remember, though, was that traveling a lot in a car threw things terribly out of proportion. The one time he'd been there with Layla, it was summer, the roads were clear and dry and perfect. Now, it was winter, albeit a relatively warm one, and he had to wade through ten inches of mud until he saw a semblance of civilization. And, if that wasn't enough, Eagle Rock did not have a single hotel in it.

Make no mistake, it was a ski resort, but it was privately and exclusively reserved for the rich and famous, a.k.a. the people with a lot of money and nothing to spend it on. All of the permanent residents had huge, overblown mansions, with gardens as big as Central Park. And whereas the Hamilton home was nowhere near the biggest house on the district, it was definitely harder to find than a simple address, on a simple block in a simple neighborhood. By the time Yuri actually dragged himself to the main gate, he was did not care for his appearances, nor his excuse to show up here unannounced. All he wanted was a warm shower and a sip of whiskey, but he knew he wasn't having either until he fulfilled his purpose of being here-talk to Layla.

Maybe she had been too busy worrying for her father, maybe she had done this intentionally, but the maids here didn't know that he was not a welcome visitor, at least for their young mistress. The one that hurried along to greet him seemed a little uncertain whether she should let him in, but as soon as he provided some proof that he was indeed Mr. Yuri Killian, everything snapped into place.

The story was simple (he liked to keep things simple because there was no way you could get lost into explanations like that)-he'd been detained on a business matter, and couldn't be reached. When he was available again, it had been too late for Layla to tell him the news herself, but he'd hurried there as soon as he'd heard. Had Layla warned them of his coming? No, probably not, he couldn't reach her anyways to tell her that he was on his way. Yuri who, having come with only the clothes on his back, accepted so much as a cup of tea in the kitchen before, following the maid's instructions, making his way through the winter garden to the guest house, where his partner usually retreated when she needed to think.

* * *

In spite of the fact that he had nearly freezed his ass off, coming up in the mountains only in a thin jacket, Yuri couldn't help but marvel the beauty for it all. The garden, lush in the summer and as green as emeralds was now nothing but a snowy fantasy. In the middle of the frost-glazed trees and snow covered paths, the tiny guest house looked like a little refuge, straight out of a story book. The young man paused outside, wondering whether he should knock or just come in-the last and only time he'd been here, Layla had had just about enough time to tell him that she always stayed in the guest house, before he promptly threw her over his shoulder and carried her to the bedroom. Would she lock the door, or leave it open for the maids to come in and bring her food in their quiet, professional inexistence? Would she expect anyone else to come in? Kalos had said that her father was better, but she probably went to the main house to be with him most of the time. Maybe now, she needed time to think.

Taking a snappy decision, he pushed the front door open with the tips of his fingers, and, sure enough, it opened without resistance. Yuri stepped soundlessly inside, thanking every minute of acrobat training he'd had for it. Shrugging off his coat and disposing of his boots, he was almost catlike as he stalked towards the only room that was lit up.

Layla was sitting in an armchair in front of the fireplace, feet folded underneath the simple gray skirt she was wearing, head resting back and arms leisurely limp by her sides. She was staring somewhere, eyes glazed over, like a doll.

Yuri barely suppressed the urge to slam his fist into the wall, then run to her and shake her up until she was responsive again. But honestly, who could blame him? Layla was so energetic, so full of life and so…cold-blooded. Whenever some trouble occurred, she wouldn't back down or anything. She'd deal with it without once succumbing to peer pressure and stuff like that. Seeing her like that was…unnatural.

Slowly, he brought his hand out and turned off the lights. The room darkened, causing Layla to finally start and notice his presence. Illuminated only by the light of the fire, Yuri looked surreal, dangerous, even a bit angry. Slowly, he prowled forward until he was standing next to her, one hand applied on the back of the chair, while the other was still stuffed into his pocket. His eyes were drilling into hers accusingly, and she frowned slightly.

"What are you doing here?" she finally broke the silence. Yuri just smirked.

"Do you really think you can run away from Cape Mary without me knowing, Layla?"

"I distinctly remember not calling you. And I didn't run away. I was needed elsewhere."

"I can tell."

"Enough with the condescending tone, Yuri." She snapped "What are you doing here? I didn't want you to come and you definitely didn't have a reason to come."

"You were in pain. Wasn't that enough of a reason for me to get here?"

Layla blinked confusedly. What? Was she hearing correctly? No sarcasm, no biting words? He actually looked sincere…He'd really been worried for her. For the first time this week, he looked like he honestly wanted to be with her. No inside jokes, no hidden meanings. But…Why?

"I never asked you to be here, with me." She snapped

"But I've come anyway." Dear Gods, was it really possible for him to come any closer? But, apparently, it was, because he leaned in and breathed hot on the tender flesh on her neck "There isn't a force in the world to rid you of me, Layla, and you know it."

"Funny. I sorta thought that you wanted to rid yourself of me, not vice versa."

"Does that mean that you don't want to rid yourself of me just as much as I don't want you to rid yourself of me?"

"Yuri…" Layla sighed, shaking her head and letting her feet fall over the side of the chair. She stood up, fixed the wrinkles of her skirt and eyed his form, lazily sprawled over the side of the chair. His eyes were heavy, half-lidded, almost sleepy in the firelight, but it was all an illusion. She knew just how dangerous he was. In some ways, he was like a panther. He could leap across the room and destroy whatever distance there was between them in milliseconds. And right now…in those eyes of his, she could see something more than awareness. There was desire.

Once more, she shook her head. How many times now had she fallen for this? How many times until now had they been moving in this god forsaken circle? He went to her when he needed her, and she stayed because she loved him….only every time they made a full round, his reasons to stay with her became more and more insignificant. First he needed her to get close to Kalos, then he needed her to continue to be the top male star, and now…now he probably came back because he'd realized that he wouldn't be getting near Sora anytime now and she, of course, would always be there to satisfy his…ahem…needs.

Lovely. To him, she was a notch in his bedpost, an easy lay, someone to whom he could go whenever he needed, and who would accept him no matter what. The proud, powerful Layla Hamilton succumbing to a man…yeah, that was as cliché as it could get, but it was true. She was letting him bring her to heights and lows, to hurt her and love her, she, who would not let anyone, not even her father, boss her around. Damn it…a thousand times, damn it!

"Yuri, what?" he demanded, straightening up slowly and sliding towards her "What do you want to say, Layla?"

"I think that you made it clear throughout this week that you are more interested in Sora than anyone else." She stated sourly, only too aware that she was acting like a jealous girlfriend.

Yuri's expression faltered slightly, but instead of recovering, his eyes became sadder. "Yeah, I guess I acted like a jerk this whole week…and even before." He moved once again to step into her private space and Layla stepped back, pivoting so that her back was facing her chair. Yuri kept pushing her back until she plopped back down on it, but instead of grabbing her, or forcing his presence on her in some way or another, he paused a foot away from her, and then sank to his knees. Startled, her eyes stayed glued on his as the viewpoint changed, until she was the one looking down at him.

"I should've told you this ever since the beginning." He said "But believe me, I never intended this to go that far. When I…didn't do anything to celebrate Valentine's Day with you, when I forgot about it, I didn't do it on purpose. I may have been afraid of the turn our relationship took this year, after you…got injured, I might have been overworked, and I…I know I hurt you, but it was not intentional, it was _never_ intentional. When I managed to put two and two together, you were already on the plane to that island and I was stuck with Ken and Leon, alone, in a Kaleido Stage that looked like it had been hit by the Plague. That's no excuse for what we did, but…well…"

He took a deep breath, and for the next few minutes proceeded to explain just what had happened after he'd met Ken and Leon, the little drink-fest they'd had in Leon's room, Ken's suggestion and the conversation that had led to the striking of that ridiculous bet. All the time, his eyes never met hers, keeping track of the emotions that were on display there-anger, indignation, sadness. But he didn't stop. And she didn't interrupt him. And so he told her of what Leon had said, and how he'd thought that the Frenchman would seduce her instead of going for Sora.

"So…" she sighed when he was done talking "You felt threatened, but instead of coming to me and turning Leon's advances down in the making, you decided to give him a taste of his own medicine and went after Sora. Even though you were aware that Leon's more partial of her than anyone in Kaleido Stage. Even…"

"Even though I knew I would hurt you. Yes." His head felt heavier than normal, as if was filled with lead. He needed to grit his teeth and fight the urge to bow it, if not to defy her will and succumb to her as her slave (which he'd do gladly), but to keep the eye contact and assure her that, yes, even though he was on his knees in front of her, he was sincere. He would tell her the truth, even if it angered her. Even if it hurt her.

Because she would not settle for anything less than the truth.

"I admit that what I did was wrong. Leon probably said what he did because I provoked him, but I had no reason to fall into this…childish game of riddles that followed. I should have acted more maturely, I should have come to you, I should have been more communicative…but I wasn't. And I let it go too far. Please…forgive me for that."

Layla shook her head. For one terrible moment, he stood there, looking miserably at her, until she sat a little on the edge of the chair and let her hand trail across his cheek. "You know I will…just like I always do, Yuri." She sighed, sadly "Why do I put up with you?"

"I'm not playing you for a fool here, Layla." He replied, earnestly, enveloping her small hand into his own. "Do you still think I'm using you?"

She didn't answer, but she looked away, which meant more than she could've said. Yuri reached over and turned her head so that she could look at him again. "Layla, I don't believe it!"

"What? You don't believe what?" she yelled, pulling away, face reddening "What should I be thinking? I know the only reason you approached me because you needed someone to get you close to Kalos. I know you first said you loved me because you needed me blindsided for your plans. I know…and I let you!"

"Layla! Layla, look at me!" Yuri snapped, his grip on her tightening painfully "You're right, ok? You're right, I approached you because I needed you to carry out my revenge on Kalos! I admit it, and I regretted considering you as a mere tool almost at the first moment I laid my eyes on you, because I knew that you're not a person I can blindside with pretty words and empty promises! If I hadn't had any second thoughts before I met you, afterwards I hesitated more than I had ever in my entire life."

"But you carried it out anyways, didn't you?!"

"Did you expect me to do otherwise? Yes, I was not sure after I met you, but back then I didn't know what risks I would be taking. My vengeance won over the feelings I had for you back then, but that was before I saw how hard you worked to perform with Sora, on that stage you love and cherish so much. And then…and then you got hurt, practicing for that same maneuver that killed my father, and I went mad, Layla, mad! I was ready to kill Kalos then and there for letting this happen to you, but you went on and got further. You actually performed, and completed it." He paused, and then added, in a shakier, quieter voice "It was the ultimate "I told you so"….you put me to shame and once and for all proved to me that I'm nothing to you."

"It was just a maneuver. And I came back, didn't I?"

"You did." He laughed "But…back then…even though I was threatened to lose Kaleido stage anyway to the investors…if you had died…if I lost you…nothing would have made sense. My vengeance would have been more than worthless…it would have been pathetic."

Layla let out a shaky breath, and then smiled weakly. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

"If I didn't love you as much as I do…if I didn't respect you as much as I do…would I have come here sober, without having run over any chickens and talk to you so calmly? Would I make so much sense if I didn't care? Would I be this scared of your refusal to believe me?"

"You don't look scared." She stated. Yuri just smiled, took one of her hands, kissed the palm and then placed it over his heart, so that she could feel it hammer in his chest. Her eyes widened slightly.

"You know when I'm afraid Layla. You were there when that happened first."

"I was?"

"The night after the Golden Phoenix…I was afraid that this would end once you discover the real me. But you stayed with me."

"I couldn't bring myself to let you go." She replied, resting back. Yuri smirked, let got of her hand and sat back on his heels. He took one of her feet in his hands and rubbed the ankle, first softly, and then with more strength. "I couldn't bring myself to regret it either."

"And now?" he asked "Do you regret it now?"

"I don't try to anymore." She smiled down at him, and he let his fingers trail up her calf, massaging the stiff muscles. She let out a small groan of pleasure as his movements loosened up knots and sour spots she didn't know she had. "I decided that it was stupid living in what ifs when I'm happy with you…in a masochistic kind of way."

"I'm sorry I made you feel like that." He said, sincerely, letting his hand glide up, caress her knee before ghosting under the hem of her skirt for a while. Pausing, Yuri looked up at her "Does that mean that you take me back?"

"If you promise not to make any promises to become better." She replied, closing her eyes halfway groggily "I don't want you to set yourself any limits. You'll only feel more horrible for not being able to keep them."

"You seem so sure that I'll fail…" he trailed off, getting hold of her other leg, before standing up slightly and pulling her toward him, until she was almost straddling him. Their faces were inches apart, but he still had one more thing to say. "I love you, Layla. I hope that I'm not straining my limits too far."

She sighed as their lips met, yielding into him openly, without restraint, without opposition, letting him devour her as her lips burned him once more. His hands cupped her face and then combed her soft hair back, while she grabbed onto his shoulders and pulled him close. Breath of one's breath, she came to realize exactly how much she'd been missing when he was away, emotionally and physically; that same pain he'd been experiencing so clearly because he had not been sedated by anger; pain that transformed into sweet pleasure now, as she was with him, and with his kiss that brought on the promise to be made whole again.

Yuri pulled away, placing butterfly kisses on her eyelids, cheeks and neck. He's changed, Layla thought as her fingers dove into his hair and hugged his head closer to her body, craving for the heat, for the touch, for the proof that he was really there. He's changed. He treated her more carefully, as if he'd become aware of the damage he'd caused. She closed her eyes, inhaling the familiar scent and smiled into his hair.

"Layla…" he whispered hoarsely into her neck, pulling away slightly to look at her. His fingers were moving up and down her back, slowly, languidly, tracing every curve and dip as if he was a sculptor modeling his Venus. His other hand rested on her waist, holding her in place. Instead of saying anything, she leaned in, took his sweater by the hem and tugged it up. Yuri let put his hands up to let her pull it all the way, and before he'd shaken the stray bangs from his eyes, her hands had slipped under the collar of his shirt and parted its sides without meeting any resistance whatsoever.

"Layla Hamilton, mistress of the parting buttons." She murmured sourly as the very last one of them came undone. Her palms were resting on Yuri's abdomen, so she had no trouble whatsoever feeling the laughter that resonated there at her words.

"I'm not sure about that." He said, moving up to unfasten the zipper on the back of her dress while she was pushing the dress shirt off his shoulders. Her clothes became undone and pooled at her waist with a tentative whisper. Layla suddenly felt strangely exposed to him, but she didn't have time to worry about that, because he pulled her into another smoldering kiss. Her legs tightened their hold over his waist…there was a slight hesitation before they tumbled on the ground, laughing like a pair of carefree children.

_And he loved her again. For some reason unknown to him, it was possible that you could fall in love even more, again and again, with that same person. And as they struggled to free themselves from the last few articles of clothing, he thought off handedly that he wouldn't mind experiencing this folly, again and again, if it was with Layla. He could relinquish his pride because of Layla. _

She rolled him over on his back as she straddled his, now naked, lap. In the light the flames threw over her, she looked every bit of the surreal, mystical creature she was. _But while other men would compare her to a dainty fairy or a delicate mermaid, Yuri saw her for what she was-a phoenix. A strong, powerful spirit that did not let anyone possess it. _

Slowly, she moved her hips up and down, creating a smooth, agonizing rhythm for him to follow. To his credit, he didn't grip her hips or try and force her to go faster, but he did wrap his hand around her neck to make sure he was looking at her eyes all the time.

_But her fire was weak in itself, he knew, rolling over so that he could envelop her body entirely with hers, use his longer limbs to protect her from the cold that had settled around the little protective cocoon of warmth the two had created around each other. She would need him, and he could tag along to be with her when she needed him. _

Faster, stronger movements. She had closed her eyes in concentration, her breathing was becoming labored. Yuri moved to kiss her, even though her skin was so hot it was literally burning him. Her hands were holding fistfuls of the carpet, as if she needed some sort of thing to keep her balanced. His hands gently came on top of hers, coaxing them with gentle strokes to loosen up and intertwine her fingers with his own. Layla opened her eyes, now misty from the fire that had gone up within her.

_Faster, faster…until there was no rhyme or reason, just the trust between those two people, the trust that one would not let the other fall. _

They let themselves get lost within one another.

* * *

The fire was going out, somewhere next to them, but Layla couldn't help but sigh with contentment. Right now, watching the smoldered carbons was soothing, peaceful. She felt strangely in synch with her surrounds, and calm.

"Are you still here?" he asked somewhere below her range of sight.

Pause.

"Yes."

Yuri shifted more comfortably, before mumbling.

"Will you stay with me?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"Will you?"

"For all its worth, my heart is yours, Yuri. I think you already know that."

Another pause, and with his words, the last sparkles withered away into the fireplace.

"Thank you."

* * *

**A/N-I hope I didn't get too inspired by "Snow Fur", and I apologize for being so sloppy. I was...a little blocked lately. Anyways, review.**


	20. Chapter 20

How did they manage without one another for a whole week? Layla recalled a lot of frustration and anger and a rather lewd suggestion towards Cathy on Wednesday (thank God she didn't take her up on that one), but in retrospect, she couldn't understand why she was so pissed at him. Sure, he was acting as if he was more interested in Sora than her, and yeah, he was acting like a jerk, but overall, she thought she could've handled it if it wasn't for all the unreleased sexual tension.

"You know, I'm not looking forward to repeating this abstinence from sex experience anytime soon." She commented, although she half-wished that Yuri was too stunned by her to conjure a reply. "Leaving it bottled up like that is bad."

"You're right." Came his reply, a slightly muffled one thanks to the fact that his head was buried between her breasts. Good thing that rug is so cozy, Layla thought. It wouldn't be good for any of them if they caught a nasty cold or something like that. He'd been pretty reluctant to move their festivities upstairs to the bedroom, and she had to admit, she didn't want to leave the warm fire and the comfort of the living room to go anywhere right now. She almost forgot about the reason she was there too, if one of the maids hadn't knocked on the door.

Layla scrambled on her legs, slipped her panties on and used Yuri's dress shirt to cover up. She didn't want to give the poor girl a scare now, would she? Opening the door slightly, she eyed the girl carefully. "Yes?"

"Umm…the doctor told us to tell you that Master is feeling much better now and…when he learned that Yuri-sama was also present, he requested that Miss. And Yuri-sama join him for dinner."

"Very well. Proceed with your duties." Layla dismissed her, feeling her feet freeze over with that weather outside. She returned to the living room and scooted over to Yuri, who immediately took his new favorite place, curled all around her, slightly parting the shirt so that he could nuzzle on the soft skin.

"I can get used to this." Layla said, running her hands through his messy hair "Your shirts are too comfortable to wear…"

"Oh, Layla…" Yuri sighed, finally looking up from her chest and into her eyes "…Layla, Layla, I can spend the rest of my life on my knees or on all fours in front of you, letting you be the one controlling me…but I just can't make a compromise on this part."

"Why?" she asked, her skin protesting as he removed the shirt from her shoulders, but relaxing after he started covering every inch of it with kisses

"Because…" Kiss "…only one…" Kiss "…of us…" Kiss "…can dress gender appropriately…" He moved to suck on her lower lip, before answering "And you have to admit it, you look better in a skirt than I do."

She smacked him across the head, before rolling on top of him once again.

* * *

Mr. Hamilton didn't even raise an eyebrow when his daughter and her boyfriend entered the huge-ass dining room in the main house almost thirty minutes after the appointed dinner time. No, for the many years since Layla had partnered up with Killian, he'd swallowed somehow the fact that she would pay more attention to the boyfriend than to him. Actually, that boy had given her a little spark for life, something he was somehow failing in offering her, and he was glad to see her so happy.

Besides, he reasoned, if what I'm seeing is not a product of my imagination, being late is only to be expected.

"Glad to see you again, Yuri." He smiled, and made a move to get up.

"No, please, don't bother yourself. I'm glad to see you too, Mr. Hamilton, and in such a great shape too."

"Yes, well…doctor always exaggerates things, and Layla is only too keen on believing him." He waved "Please, sit down."

"Of course." Yuri pulled Layla a chair before moving to take his place by her side. Mr. Hamilton eyed them both suspiciously, wondering why his daughter looked so…perplexed. She was either doing a good job in keeping her emotions at bay, or she was wholly unaware of how a woman should act in her condition. Yuri reached over and placed his large palm over hers, covering it completely, and gave the man a wan smile. Mr. Hamilton smirked into his handkerchief. So that's how it is, huh?

"I don't know why you two didn't come together, Yuri, but I'm sure you would've talked more sense into her if you were together when that old fart the doctor called and scared the living daylights out of her." He went on, as the maids quickly served the appetizers "She came here with a helicopter, can you believe it? I dare not imagine how she managed the flight through this weather. If you two had been together at the time, you would have surely made her take a more sober decision."

"It is so unfortunate that I was not by her side at the moment." Yuri nodded, conveniently omitting the fact that he himself had barely had the patience to sober up before slipping into the car and driving like a madman towards the little resort. That had to be a new low. "However, I'm here now, and I will stay by her side, for as long as she will have me, and even after that." He gave the older man a pointed look "I hope this is alright with you."

"Naturally." Mr. Hamilton let out a thin-lipped smile, before turning towards his daughter. "Don't the two of you have a premiere in three days?"

"Kalos arranged a delay for us, father." Layla said, looking between her boyfriend and her father confusedly, as those men were having a sort of inside joke going on between them and she was dying to tap in. Especially because she felt like the joke was being played on her. "I'm sure that the audience will understand."

"Not because of me, I hope."

"Well, father…"

"I mean, I can see that there are reasons for you to delay the show, but my minor indisposition is hardly a good enough excuse to delay the show."

"Actually…" Layla drawled, ready to defend herself and Sora for their inability to prepare in time, but Yuri cut in.

"Everything will be fine, sir. I'm sure that this minor delay would not harm anyone. We pride ourselves that we put the show before everything."

"Everything indeed." He drawled, before turning towards his daughter "I suppose that I'll have to clean up my schedule soon, huh, Layla?"

"Yes, you have to, especially with your condition. You are working too hard, father…"

"Well, I guess if you say so then I MUST…." He sighed, before smiling "I'm glad that Yuri came, though, it reminded me that I have something to give to you, Layla…"

* * *

"Can you tell me what happened at dinner?" Layla asked later, when she and Yuri were back in the guest house. She'd been considering fishing the information out of him when they got down on each other, but her newly forgiven boyfriend had suddenly decided that he wanted to have everything _but_ sex. So far, he'd cleaned up perfectly the mess they'd made in front of the fireplace, lain clean sheets over the double bed in the masters' bedroom, and had proceeded to take a shower. Right now he was brushing his teeth, but that wouldn't prevent him from answering her.

"What do you mean?" he asked back, while looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Seeing her eyes narrow dangerously, he hurried to add. "A lot happened at dinner. To what exactly are you referring?"

"To that weird conversation you and my father had." She replied

"Layla, you were there all along. We didn't have a conversation separate from you." Yuri pointed out, before cleaning his mouth from the toothpaste.

"It seemed like something grand was going on and I wasn't in on it." Layla said, while pulling at the belt of her white dressing gown to emphasize on how much she didn't like the notion "Did you two have some bet going on too? Or was he in that pact you struck with Leon and Ken?"

"Heavens no!" Yuri exclaimed "I don't want to imagine the means your father would use to fill in his part of the bargain."

"Why did you have to put that disgusting image into my head?!" she yelled

"You asked!" he raised his hands, but he quickly went over to soothe her "There, there, Layla, I didn't mean to piss you off. I'm sure that your father has a healthy and running love life…"

"Shut up!" she tried smacking him, but it was pretty hard to be mad at him when he was hugging her like that, wearing nothing but a pair of briefs. "Hey…"

"Relax, Layla." Yuri pulled away and moved towards the bedroom "Your father and I were just bonding."

"Bonding?" she laughed, crossing her hands in front of her chest "How does bonding have to do with my father suddenly giving me all my mother's jewelry and telling me that he hoped I'd wear it? Why did the two of you…" she stopped abruptly when a flash blinded her. She raised her left hand to cover her eyes, when she realized that the reflection of something in the mirror was annoying her. According to her self in the glass, it was on her hand.

Frowning slightly, she lowered her hand and looked at it, and then gasped, her other hand flying up to cover her mouth. Her expression changed from annoyed to stunned to awed in a matter of seconds as she looked at her forth finger as if she was seeing it for the first time. Because there, wrapped into a delicate white gold cage was one of the most exquisite, most beautiful diamonds she'd ever seen in her life. It was absolutely breathtaking, and it fit her finger so perfectly that she neither felt it move, nor squeeze into her flesh. It was frighteningly well made, fitting her hand as if it was meant to be there all along.

She turned towards the bedroom, where Yuri was standing, not ten feet away from her, his hands hanging by his sides as he had no pockets to put them in. He was smiling, a wide, boyish grin she seldom saw there, one that never failed to make her heart beat with a hundred miles per hour.

But still…still…she couldn't let him win there, could she? How dare he pull pranks like that on her! That was why her father was like that in dinner, he thought that they…that he…and that she…When did he manage to slip that thing on anyway?! She remembered that he laced his fingers with hers while they made love earlier, but she'd obviously been too distracted to notice him putting it on.

"Yuri…" she trailed off

"Yes, Layla?" he asked, innocently

"Is this what I think it is?"

"Yup."

"I won't accept it." she said, and for a brief moment his face seemed to be the one of a man in the uttermost agony. For a moment.

"Why change your mind now?" he asked "You accepted before."

"I did not!"

"You did."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"When?!" she yelled "Because I don't even recall you asking!"

"Of course I did. I asked you if you'd stay with me, and you replied that you would."

"Moron! A marriage proposal should be phrased as one! How many times have you asked me that same question when we were having sex?"

"None, actually. We always made love, Layla, and never before was I worried about you leaving me. Besides, I _was_ on my knees, albeit a little while before I popped the question."

"Not to mention we shifted positions a couple of times before you did that." She replied sourly.

"Layla…" he groaned, walked up to her and cupped her chin "I know that this is the moment every girl dreams about, the love of their life going on one knee and asking her to be only his for the rest of eternity, and then wait in horrible anticipation as her answer would be the verdict whether the rest of his life would be a Heaven or Hell, and all that theatrics, but Layla, we're performing nonstop! We both know how hard it is to work for one single moment and now being able to make it really last. I know I was pretty cowardly to ask you like this, but the idea that you may not be mine makes me physically sick. This…whole week has been Hell for me, the most horrible time of my life, including those moments as you and Sora performed the Legendary Maneuver."

"I don't want to marry you just because you got afraid." That was a lie. She had been afraid too. She wanted to be with him, to tie him to her, to hold him and never let him go. A marriage would be the perfect insurance, but Layla knew that it wouldn't matter if they went back to what they were when the fear disappeared. "I won't have you marry me because we were separated for a week."

"But I can't stand the idea of not being with you, even for a week." He replied, caressing her face gently "Layla, I didn't want to make a big deal out of it because I don't care for the wedding itself, I care for the years that will come after that. Years of you and me, Layla, together, without having to be separated ever again. I've always been committed to you, and you know damn well that I've never been afraid to show this to the world."

She sniffled. Then again. And again. And then the sniffles turned into sobs as she crashed against his chest and cried. Yuri hugged her gently and buried his face into her golden hair. "Will you be mine then, Layla?"

"I will…" she sobbed "I will."

* * *

Leon waited patiently, hands stuffed into his coat pockets, and wondered if Sora would be alright there. Her friend had come two hours ago, shooing him out of the room so that they could prepare her for their date. He couldn't honesty fathom what those women could be doing there, but he was pretty sure that the light of her room going on and off and an occasional lightening sprinkled here and there would make the perfect décor for a Frankenstein movie. Obviously they were being unnecessarily overbearing, since he'd managed to read a newspaper, look through his correspondence, warm up, take a shower and change his clothes, and _still_ be early to pick her up, but then again, women had more clothes to wear than men.

He sighed…let's just hope that they dressed her appropriately for the weather. Women always tended to think about their looks first.

"Sorry I'm late!" Sora panted as she all but ran out of the dorm, wrapping her scarf around her neck carefully. Leon nodded, while opening the door to their cab, before throwing one glance at the small group that had gathered at the steps of the dorm. Anna gave him a thumbs up and May mouthed a "Don't screw up!", but other than that, there wasn't much of an indication whether they were happy or not.

"Did you honestly have to let them dress you up?" Leon asked, once the cab was speeding away towards the city. Since Sora was wearing her coat, he could only see her face and neck, but the girls hadn't done much, other than twisting her strawberry strands into an elaborate chignon and doing her make up.

Well…ok, so maybe the lipstick she was wearing was looking pretty tempting on her lips…almost enough to tempt him to kiss her. But he wasn't going to. Nope, he had principles.

"I had to." She was saying "I don't think I would've been able put all that stuff on my own."

"Indeed." He drawled, not being particularly interested in the answer in the first place. But he couldn't decide which was worse-small talk, or dwelling on the torture they were about to go through. Somehow, he'd managed not to think about the latter ever since he agreed to take Sora to the opening, although God knows he hated the idea of being there in the first place. Psychology might explain his current predicament by stating that, deep inside, he wanted to go there and get this whole part of his past behind his back, thus his giving the tickets to Sora and telling her to invite whomever she wants. Of course, he must have known that she would invite him, because a second ago she'd been asking him to go, but he was still surprised that she did. Maybe a small part of him expected her to go with Ken.

A much bigger part of him rejoiced when she didn't.

But seriously, the more they approached the address stated in the invitation, the more convinced he was that this was a horrible idea. When he'd first heard Sora praise other people's dancing, he'd been annoyed because one, they were not that good, and two, because of his decision not to dance ever again, he was deprived of the pleasure to have her in his arms and twirl her around to show her the real thing. Though he did tell her that the lack of personal space was what turned him away from ballroom, and that was partially true, but after he'd met Sora, and particularly after the Angel's Act, he'd found out he hated acrobatics for not giving him an excuse to hold her longer than required.

He'd been ridiculously pleased that he'd have the chance to dance with her tonight, but the idea that he'd be meeting the people he hated, and talk about the things he didn't like to talk about really destroyed his good mood, and he felt like going there with Sora was like bringing a lamb to a slaughterhouse. Did he warn her? Sure he did, but did she really comprehend what was going to happen tonight?

Before Leon could reach a conclusion, the cab pulled over in front of a lovely new building.

He could hear the people talking over the sound of the delicate waltz that was heard from the ballroom and his stomach clenched again. Would they even recognize him? Sure, his invitation would be registered, but he'd gotten a lot taller than before. His hair was also longer…ok, maybe he shouldn't have pulled it in that pony tail, but he didn't want his image on the stage to mix with his ballroom image.

"Sora, are you…" he began, turning towards her, and his throat went dry.

* * *

_He's apprehensive_, Sora thought. After being his partner for so long, she would be damned if she didn't know how to read him, although she still had a long way to go before she knew all he was thinking about.

But he did look amazing in his black dress shirt and pants. True to himself, the top buttons were open, free from a tie or a bow, and his hair was pulled back, showing off his manly, noble face. She wondered if the passion red of her dress was clashing with his black-and-white ensemble, but since Layla had warned her that he might lose his power of speech when he sees her, she guessed that it wasn't all that bad.

He offered her his hand and the two of them walked into the ballroom. Sora was prepared for blinding lights and a crash of people, but instead, the grand room was dimly lit, and although there was a crowd, it was far from what she had imagined. It all looked more private…more intimate. It made her blush, but luckily he wasn't going to see it.

They managed to make a turn about the ballroom without anyone coming over to speak to them, which seemed fine with Leon. Sora looked around, both stunned by the ambience of the place, and a little disappointed. There were some people dancing, but other than that, the entire party seemed rather dull and she daren't ask Leon to take her dance. She had a distinct feeling that if she went out there, she'd make an idiot out of herself. Probably by tripping over her own two feet.

Leon, though, had been right. Wherever she looked, from the clothing to the expressions on the people's faces, Sora only saw variations of the First Leon she'd ever met-cold, mildly bored people, immaculately dressed in a way that suggested expensiveness with its simplicity. Professional dancers, no doubt…and they all seemed very intimidating. Sneaking a peek up, she was nearly petrified to see Leon sporting the same expression as them, and for one horrible moment she wondered if he'd morphed back into that person she'd first met.

As if sensing her distress, he looked down, and offered her what looked like the most brilliant, warm smile he'd mustered since…he started smiling again, actually. Picking up his signal, her face also broke into one of her dazzling smiles, and she even giggled slightly.

"You see why I didn't want to come here?" he asked, tugging her towards another end of the room to avoid another group of people. "It's not all that wonderful and…oh, great…"

"What?" she looked in the direction where he was looking and saw a tall man with blond hair and green eyes make his way towards them. He was obviously an acquaintance, because he waved and from the way his lips moved, he was calling at Leon.

Before she could register the movement, his hand was draped over her shoulders and it was squeezing her in a way that was anything if not intimate. And then, if that wasn't enough, he pulled her in, leaned over to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear and whispered: "Don't talk to him. Just smile and nod. Understood?"

She gave him a look to make him understand that she got it, mostly because she was too stunned to say anything. Leon Oswald, holding her close and whispering in her ear? If she wasn't the trained acrobat she was, she would've melted on the floor. Even now, as she tried hard to copy his expression of boredom, there was a little tingle pitting in her stomach which threatened to go even lower.

"Leon…" the man was next to him, and shook her partner's hand steadily "After all these years, I was almost afraid that you wouldn't come here."

"Samuel. How do you do?" he asked, his voice detached.

"Very well, thank you. And…" the man's eyes moved on Sora and she felt edgy "Who might this young lady be?"

"Samuel, let me present to you Sora Naegino. Sora, this is Samuel Pickett, he teaches Latin in my aunt's school of Ballroom."

"Well, used to, since I decided to move in another studio, but his information is mostly correct. Pleased to meet you, Sora." He kissed her hand, while letting his eyes graze over her body.

"The pleasure is all mine." She replied, pleased that her voice came out stronger in spite of the freezing wave that came over her body.

"So, Leon, have you decided to go back to dancing yet? I hear you're an acrobat in Kaleido Stage, but I just can't believe that you don't wish you would shake a leg on the dance floor again." Samuel laughed, quickly dismissing Sora.

"I can't complain. Acrobatics is far from destroying my old habits. Actually…I feel more energized since I switched over from ballroom. It's a very active sport."

"Yes, but the passion is a lot more difficult to show, Leon." He pressed on "I couldn't believe your aunt when she told me that you and Sophie had left, and I still can't believe that you didn't want to come back after she died. I know that it was all sad business and that she meant a lot to you, but you were always a wonderful dancer. My best student! It feels such a shame to throw away your talent, especially when you did so well four years ago."

"It was not what I wanted. It still isn't." Her partner's voice was calm, but Sora noticed the tension in his fingers as he tried keeping them from squeezing her too hard. She quickly moved the hand closest to his on the small of his back, tracing her fingers up and down his spine in an attempt to calm him down. Leon stiffened against her touch, looked at her with the corner of his eye, before turning his attention towards Samuel again. "Four years ago, I agreed to dance because of the respect I held for you. You were always supportive of Sophie and me, and I'll never forget it."

"Then you should consider competing again. You are far from being too old to dance, Leon, especially when you and Christina could win any championship." Samuel grinned slyly "She's here too, you know. She'll give us a demonstration with George Huntington, but one word from you and I'll have him serve drinks while you two rumba away."

_I'm mastering his facial expression_, Sora thought wryly, _I'm not twitching…I hope._

Her fingers were still tracing up and down and she glanced over her shoulder to see if somebody was looking at them. Nope, totally ignored. _Lucky…_

"And you were never truly happy with performing on the trapeze, right?" Samuel's voice reached her ears and she faltered slightly. It took all she had not to look at him, and luckily, a quick squeeze of his fingers around her shoulder told her not to believe a single word he was saying. Leon loosened his grip when she let out a little breath of pain, but he hurried to soothe the sore spot by rubbing his fingers in it gently. All the time, the man in front of them continued to talk, too absorbed into his world "I know how much you hated training with Allan, you two left him, after all. But you never had the heart to deny Sophie anything, that's why you continued even after her accident. Very noble of your part, but now I hear that you created a marvelous stage, one like she wanted, I imagine. Of course, I never doubted that you would, even with that shabby partner of yours, you truly are amazing…But now that this stage is a reality, you should return to what makes you really happy-dancing."

Leon was quiet. Sora was quiet. They were both frozen, their poker faces in place, although hers was more likely to crack than his. Her mind was raging-who the hell does that guy think he is? Didn't he even know who he was talking to? Didn't he recognize this 'shabby partner' into the woman he'd just so shamelessly looked all over as if she was a horse or some other livestock on sale?! And what was this that Leon not being happy performing? Alright, she had to admit that he had been reluctant at first, but when they started training for the Angel's Act, he had changed. And then…then he'd fallen in love with the Real Stage, the Stage his sister wanted to perform on with him…her stage.

Or so she thought. Was it possible that he truly wasn't happy? That he stayed out of obligation, just like he had all week with her? That was…sad, though it wouldn't surprise her-Leon had always been a little unreal, a little too good to waste his time with her.

Then his fingers squeezed around her shoulder again, and the next words that left his mouth were nothing if not a reassurance to his actions.

"Maybe you were deceived by appearances, but I truly enjoy performing now. In spite of the fact that I'll never be as happy as I was with Sophie, I wouldn't change a thing." He let out a smirk "And I would truly hate to leave Mr. Huntington without a partner. But give Christina my best wishes."

"Well…" Samuel drawled, clearly displeased "I'm sure that you'd at least give us one demonstration, at least. For old time's sake."

"Naturally." Leon nodded "However, do not deprive Christina and Mr. Huntington of their spotlight. Sora and I will dance something after them."

"I'll inform the band then." Samuel nodded, gave Sora a haughty look, combined with a condescending smirk, before disappearing in the crowd. The two waited for a second, before she released a breath she hadn't noticed she'd been holding, and noticed that Leon's grip on her shoulder was now stronger, almost painful. She gasped quietly, alerting him that he was causing her pain, and Leon hurried to rub the place soothingly again.

"I apologize." He said, his voice almost sad "I almost lost myself out there…" it almost felt as if he wanted to add a thank you for anchoring him, but if he was considering it, he kept it to himself.

"It's alright. Do you want to leave?" Sora asked, now pretty much regretting her decision to come here in the first place.

"We still have to dance." He gave her a strange look, one that almost startled her with its urgency "I'm not a man to back out on my promise, Sora."

She nodded, just as the lights dimmed and his hold on her tightened again, as he pushed her towards the dance floor.

There stood a couple, almost dazzling in their matching outfits in green and black. Sora gasped, when the music suddenly started and the two launched into a dance that Leon had described to be the rumba.

In spite of the fact that the ballroom was pretty spacious, Sora felt her body heat up. The girl dancing there, Christina, no doubt, was absolutely gorgeous. She reminded the starlet of that assistant she'd thought Leon was hooking up with, only there wasn't a trace of that woman's reserve or professional restraint in the beautiful dancer who moved around in her stilettos. Busty, with skin the color of coffee with milk and a wild mane of black hair, she was like an embodiment of Latin. Sora, who'd spent the last few days watching whatever dance videos she could get her hands on, suddenly felt tiny and insignificant. Christina had no problem showing off her emotions as she danced with her partner, looking every bit passionately in love as the dance expected her to be. Was this emotion something that Leon also had to represent? She couldn't imagine her stern partner lose himself on stage, but like he'd said, there was no private space when dancing. All borders disappeared and 'you and me' became 'we'.

She snuck a peek at him, but he seemed wholly disinterested. What were they supposed to do? What? She didn't even feel like she was appropriately dressed! Christina, in her three inch stilettos and skimpy dress made her feel over-clothed in her knee-length dress with short bell sleeves and bare back. Oh, well…the humiliation would only last at a song's length. Oh, Gods…

When the thunderous applause erupted around them, Leon leaned in and said: "Don't worry."

Sora forced a smile on her face, but it was obvious that she wasn't ready. Samuel announced that Leon would dance, and her partner pushed her gently forward towards the center of the dance floor. He made her stop, circled her slowly as the music started to play, stopped behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. Abruptly, he span her around so that she could face him and pulled her flush against his chest. "Tango." He whispered. "Now."

As if some sort of miracle had happened, but her feet started to move on their own accord. She remembered everything he'd taught her in the morning, and what she'd seen. Leon led her into a fairly simple routine, but something in her ached for more. She put more force in her hands, and tried to resist him, to put her own pace into the dance. One of his hands, the one resting on the small of her back, briefly fell on her thigh and brought it up so that she could sling her leg over his hips, before flinging her away. Sora landed softly, but instead of following his pull and going back into his arms, she slid behind him and put some distance between them.

He turned slowly, his eyes searching, but her own were hooded, clouded with…what? Love? Passion? Desire? She wouldn't let him know…not yet…Slowly, following the beat, she started moving in a circle, and so did he…Then, he made a move to walk away, and suddenly she was pressing against his back, one of her hands trailing down his own until her fingers were once again laced with his.

Abruptly, Leon flung her back against him and pulled her into a basic, and for a second Sora could swear that his breathing became just as uneven as her own. His eyes too changed from dull grey to stormy violet, as if he was somehow angry at her. She let out a small smile as she put a hand to his chest, as if to prevent him from coming any closer to her. _Why do you think I'll accept you now, when you only push me away?_ Her movements seemed to ask, but the smile on her face, combined with her heavy-lidded eyes told another story. His much larger hand clasped around the one that was on his chest firmly. _Don't speak nonsense_, his eyes replied as he, without breaking the movement of their legs, brought up the hand that seemed to stop him from having her fully with him and kissed the knuckles.

Sora flushed and the control she had struggled so hard to keep started escaping her. Maybe…maybe it was time for her to give it up…

With one final effort, she attempted to get out of his grasp, only to be brought back, this time with her back to him, as he pulled her into one slow basic before, as the music reached crescendo, one of his legs came behind her and tripped her back until she was all but lying in his arms. Her eyes fell shut with resignation, as her hand, still clasped in his, was brought to rest on his heart.

She opened her eyes in the deafening silence that came with the end of the music, wondering what had just happened. And when her gaze met Leon's above her, she was stunned to see in his eyes the same amount of confusion, surprise, and also…there was something else there too. Something darker, something more primal, something that made her feel naked and small underneath him, something that made her loose all her control. This whole week they'd been making a show out of ignoring something, something so obvious she wondered how she could've missed it.

Leon wanted her…if not as much as she wanted him, then more.

And as he pulled her up and turned her to bow to the crowd, now roaring with applause, she couldn't help but feel like a revelation had come across the two of them. The only problem was whether he would acknowledge it or not.

* * *

**A/N-Ok, so I know I took a while posting this, but as you can see, it's a big chappie, and it would be a little too mean of you not to comment on all the stuff that happened here. So tell me, what do you think?! What are your thoughts? Review!**

**Oh, and did I mention that my other story got another chapter? Come on, people, when I finish this one up, it'll be the only story in the section I'll be updating.**


	21. Chapter 21

"Sorry that we had to leave so early." Leon said, looking rather sheepish as he and Sora made their way down to the bay area. The rain had stopped, the clouds had cleared and there wasn't even a puff of wind to be felt, making the night almost bearable. Actually, Sora had been the one that suggested that they walk back to the dorms instead of taking a cab, and, back then, it had seemed like a good idea to him. He needed to cool down, after meeting Samuel…

And especially after that tango. He glanced down at his petite partner, scowling slightly. She'd really caught him off guard there-who'd have thought that one quick lesson in the morning and watching videos on the net could actually teach her how to dance? It wasn't going to be an exaggeration to say that he'd nearly been overwhelmed out there. Yes, a walk in the cold was definitely a good idea. Perhaps he could regain enough sobriety to leave her at her door without attempting to cop a feel.

That's what he thought before, but now the silence was settling around them like a heavy fog and he was beginning to wonder if she was alright. She was uncharacteristically quiet, not like she was unwilling to speak, but rather, she could not find the words to speak.

"Sora?"

"What?!" she jumped, startled by his voice. Yeah…she really wasn't paying much attention, wasn't she?

"I said I was sorry we had to leave so early."

"Oh…."

"Aren't you going to make a comment?"

"Do you want me to?"

"I thought you would. I saw how eager you were to go there, and see ballroom up close."

"Yeah…" She nodded "But _I_ saw that you were unhappy once we got there. I should be apologizing, I shouldn't have forced you on it."

Leon sighed. "Don't dwell on that. If I really didn't want to go there, I would've found a way out of it."

Sora nodded again, carefully hugging her coat closer to her body. Leon looked at her, cursing himself for actually taking her up on her offer to walk, and slung his arm over her shoulders, bringing her close. She tensed slightly against him, before relaxing into his warmth. _Well_, he thought, _that was unexpected_. He'd actually thought she'd squeak or protest against this, saying it's inappropriate…but then again, she'd not only held onto his hand during the party, she'd let him embrace her in a way that was a little too intimate for people who claimed to be just partners. Did this mean what he thought it meant? Was this her silent way of letting him know that she liked him, and that she was alright with everything that was going on?

That wasn't right. _He_ didn't even know what was going on, how could she…

And then he paused, his mind wandering back to the time when they were training for the Angel's Act. He'd known that she was serious about it, but he still ignored her, hoping that she'd give up on learning the real thing. What she did was good enough anyway…

But then she had confronted him, telling him that it was important to show the audience things that are real. Sophie had been just like that…and then she'd told him that Sophie probably knew this would happen, and she wanted him to make the real star possible so that he could be on that stage, and that they could once again reunite.

He'd been so blind by pain that he didn't realize it back then-he, who prided himself with his ability to read people, and he'd spend the next three years as a blind man. Did Sora make him see? Or was the situation now just another example at how blind he was? Or maybe she had more clairvoyance than him? Whatever the case, he suddenly felt strangely…relieved.

"I suppose that I wanted to avoid those people we saw today." Leon said, and Sora hummed to make him know she was listening "You can understand why. Samuel was the only one who was remotely supportive of Sophie and me deciding to switch onto acrobatics, but in the end, he also thought that this was a passing fancy, and that we'd come back, sooner or later. Of course, he didn't wish for Sophie to die, but I suppose that he expected us to give up when we didn't break through."

She was silent, but he could tell she was looking at him. "Ballroom pays better than acrobatics, you know. He thought that when we ran out of money, we'd come running back to him. I guess we underestimated each other-he thought we were too spoiled to be starving artists, and I thought that he was actually nice. Even now, he couldn't have restrained himself from making such comments."

"You shouldn't let him get to you…"

"I didn't." after a little hesitating pause, Leon added "Because of you. You restrained me from lashing out on him, and from that, I saw him as he is. Now, he's unimportant, and I'm glad of it."

Sora didn't reply. Leon glanced down at her and saw that she was contemplating something. He sighed, realizing that they were only a few feet away from the dorm, and that they would have to part soon.

The windows were dark, so he supposed that Sarah had locked up for the night. Not wanting to wake her up, he walked with Sora over the side where her balcony was and helped her jump up. Putting the distance between them was supposed to be therapeutic for him, but before he could register his own movements, he'd climbed the pipe and perched himself on the rail, while she looked over at him with slight amusement.

"A gentleman always sees his date to her door to make sure that she's alright." He pointed out to defend himself, although his subconscious was making different suggestions about how the rest of the night would transpire. Leon sent her a smile that could be described as friendly at best, hoping that she'd take the hint and go inside before he changed his mind, but Sora either missed the hint, or ignored it completely, because the next thing he knew, she was leaning in as if to kiss him, startling him so much that he nearly fell off the railing.

Too close, too close, an alarm went on in his head, and he had to ball his hands into fists to keep himself from grabbing her. Sora, however, had another thing on her mind and moved in closer, almost so much that there was no distance between them. "Leon-san…"

"What?" he mumbled, staring at her confusedly.

"Why are you like that?" she asked, her face suddenly dead serious

"What do you mean like that?"

"Pushing people away." She replied sternly "You've always been odd, but this week, you've been even stranger. Sure, you're snapping at people as much as you did before, but now even I feel like I'm being…examined. You always seem to be looking at me as if you want to ask something, or tell me something, and then suddenly, you just walk away. Whenever I try asking you something, you make some sort of pirouette around it and make a run for it. Why?"

He was stunned…but to his credit, he did not try to pirouette around it and just kept quiet. Unfortunately, that wasn't good enough of an answer for Sora, because she just got up, sighing. "Leon, the reason I really wanted to go out with you tonight is because I thought you would finally open up to me. But…if you don't want to, then I guess it's pointless to make the effort in the first place."

She turned around, reached for the door knob…and a large hand closed over hers, bringing her abruptly to his sculptured body. Now this time, she did squeak, but he didn't let her do more because in the next second, she was whirled around and pressed on the glass door by her shoulders, while Leon's face hovered inches above hers. Sora tried to look stern, but in the next moment his lips were on hers-warm, soft, and absolutely perfect, kissing her with about as much fire as she had expected him to when they first danced.

"Do you want to know why I didn't find a way out of going out with you tonight?" he whispered as he pulled away to plant kisses down her jaw and cheeks.

"Why?" she whispered, although her mind was quickly becoming clouded. The bright colors that had erupted during the tango were subsiding, becoming more smoked, just like her senses were being lulled into something more intimate, something reserved for two people and two people alone. All that week, she'd been wondering what would she do if she ended up in such a situation, and now that she had, she didn't want to do anything, nothing at all. She knew that whatever happened now would never happen again, and she didn't want to miss out on it.

"Because I knew I'd get the opportunity to hold you, like this…" he confirmed his words by bringing her even closer, their bodies fitting together almost perfectly, as if pieces of a puzzle. "We can't do this onstage. Unfortunately." He let out a tiny laugh "You've no idea how much I wanted to hold you longer, but you were never entirely there."

"What if I wanted to hold you as well?" she asked "What if I wanted you to hold me all that time?" it was rather frustrating, this absolute inability of his to understand people's feelings. But the fact that he managed somehow to amend for that made him even more the wonderful man he was.

They were pretty much indistinguishable from one another in the dark, Sora barely catching a glimpse of his eyes as he leaned in to kiss her again. It was amazing, this feeling, and it was indescribable-there was triumph, yes, but there was also adoration, love, happiness…nothing could compare to it, and yet still she did not feel entirely content with it. She wanted to feel more, to see more, but she was also painfully aware that Leon wasn't going to do it unless she let him to. Her shyness, something that wasn't much of an issue in the past, was actually something that stopped them from progressing any further, and she realized that if she continued with her baby steps, they'd get nowhere.

_Funny you should mention babies_, her mind chirped, _considering what you're going to do if you guys continue._

Her hands dove into his hair, the fingertips grazing his skull as they combed down the silver strands, undoing the ponytail they'd been set in with ease. Leon growled and pulled her upwards, her feet almost dangling above the ground, as their teeth clattered together with the intensity of the kiss. Sora yelped with surprise, but before he could recoil, she swung her legs up and clasped her knees around his hips to keep herself steady. She probably should have gone further, but her legs got tangled with the skirt and she nearly fell off his arms.

But by that time, he'd somehow gotten the door to her room open, stepping inside to set her down on her bed and shut the door with his foot.

Sora and Leon nearly fell over with the velocity that movement caused, but she was only plopped sitting down on the edge of her bed and he crashed down on his knees on the floor, their arms still holding them into an embrace. She chuckled slightly, when she got a good look at his disheveled appearance, but he didn't let her laugh much, silencing her with another kiss.

He's still holding back, Sora thought, looking at him through half-lidded eyes. Grasping his face in her hands he turned him so that he could look straight at her as she said: "I'm not going anywhere, Leon. I'm yours."

His eyes dimmed, a strange emotion surging through them, as he stood up, grabbing her by the hand so that they could be on the same toe there. His other hand brushed against her cheek, trailed down her neck and her torso, before starting to unbutton her jacket slowly, starting from the bottom and moving up slowly. Her breath hitched, as his eyes seemed to drill right through her, making her feel almost naked in her clothes. However, Sora, swallowed the anxiety and spread her hands a little to let the jacket slide down. Leon's large hands clamped over her wrists, before trailing up, up, and further up, the palms warming the skin they came in contact with, until they reached her shoulders.

"Sora…" he murmured, leaning in, his hands on either side of her throat now, and she was positive that he could feel her pulse racing wildly underneath his fingertips. Slowly, she stepped in closer, kissing him and fumbling with his own scarf and coat. Leon hurried to help her, shrugging the offending objects off, but grasped her hands when they went to the top button of his shirt. "Sora, listen to me…" he mumbled between kisses "We can still stop. It's early, we can…"

"No." she knew that he meant the best, but she wasn't letting this opportunity pass her by "I want this, Leon. I want you."

"I don't want to hurt you…" he whispered

"You won't." She answered with a lot more certitude than he expected "It's still nice, knowing that you have the option though."

Leon huffed and she could swear she felt his lips curve upwards, but whether it was because of something funny or he was just happy, she couldn't tell. His hands let go of hers and she undid the buttons of his shirt slowly, sensually, letting her fingers trace momentarily against the pale skin that was revealed. He let her take it off resignedly, but there was nothing resigned when his hands wrapped possessively around her waist and pulled her in, one running up her bare back while the other cupped her neck.

He nuzzled the top of her head, tracing his fingers under the hairpins, before he moved to remove them. Sora did the rest for him, freeing her hair with a couple of well placed thrusts that send the candy tresses in a disarray around her face. Leon laughed slightly, removing some that got into her eyes before kissing her again, his hands going back on her shoulders again. He gave her a pointed look, daring (or begging?) her to back out on it, but she only gave him a confident nod.

Leon breathed in when the dress was carefully peeled off, the sides of it parting like the petals of a blooming rose as the zipper on the back became undone. The fabric pooled soundlessly around her feet, and she gingerly stepped out of it and her heels at the same. As if not wanting to have her stand on her toes, he swept her up in his arms, kicking his shoes off in the process. He stepped towards the bed and set her on the edge, kneeling at her feet. Sora's hands ran though his hair, before ghosting down, grabbing his wrist and pulling him up and on top of her.

However, he continued the roll until they were lying side by side on her bed, and she suddenly prayed that Fool wouldn't pop out from somewhere, because if the dreaded spirit decided to interrupt him now she would one, die of embarrassment, and two, commit a heinous crime, which would haunt her for the rest of her life, even when the victim was technically dead already.

Leon traced hot, open mouth kisses down her throat, his hands resting on her sides and pulling her in closer, crushing her to him. Her own fingers ghosted down his spine, just like they had on the reception, and pressed against the small of his back, making him groan and then, involuntarily, his hips jerked. Sora let out a small smirk at her victory, but her touch-down dance was halted abruptly when her legs crossed slightly and she felt just how much aroused she was. She let out a small gasp, especially when Leon bit down gently on the skin of her right breast, just above the bra line, over her heart.

Sora wondered why, with everyone encouraging her to do this, did they omit to explain to her what the hell was she supposed to do? Oh, she knew very well what this particular activity entertained, but getting from point A to point B seemed to have a lot of things involved, and she just didn't know from where to start. Fortunately, she wasn't that scared anymore-Leon was treating her as if she was a fragile piece of glass, something that had to be handled with particular care.

She rolled on top of him, intertwining her legs with his. Sora pulled away enough to look at him through half-lidded eyes, marveling the rather peculiar expression on his face. He looked like he was struggling to stay calm, and that innerved her…to an extent.

"Hey…" she whispered playfully, letting a smile cross her face. "Are you sure you want to play passive today, Leon?" she leaned in, her eyelashes touching his cheeks softly as she blew a puff of air into his neck and she kissed it. Then she moved up to look at him. "Hmm?"

He looked at her, before seizing her hand and rolling her on her back again. "No, not quite." Leon replied, smiling at the almost awed expression on her face. And then she smiled…the most beautiful smile in the world and it was for him, only for him. He leaned in, warmed the flesh of her neck and torso with his breath as he reached back to unclasp her bra. Sora gasped and for the briefest of moments attempted to cover herself up, stuck by a sudden flash of modesty, but he was having none of that. Gently, he seized her by the wrists and made her rest her hands on her sides, before letting his hand slide up her side and cup one rosy peak gently.

"You're beautiful, Sora…" he whispered, admiring her as in a trance. She let out a little moan when he kissed her again, before moving his ministrations further down as they moved further and further way from sanity and any other rational feeling that could save them from the storm that was bound to come afterwards.

* * *

She was finally asleep. Leon knew that she'd probably wanted to stay awake and talk to him until breaking dawn, but the fatigue had finally taken its tool out of her and her eyes had fallen closed, her head cradled on his massive shoulder, while his hands circled her tiny waist carefully. He sighed, loathing himself for feeling so damn happy with his hands there, so content with finally having her in his arms.

He'd wanted to have here there almost from the very start. At first he'd thought that maybe bedding her would break her, then he'd wanted to have her there because she was the only woman not swooning over him, and, after all these puberescent teen movie reasons faded, he'd wanted her because he simply couldn't imagine her anywhere else but in his arms. And now that she was, he couldn't help but thinking about the things they'd done together just a while ago and grin like the goddamn idiot he was, because it was better than anything he'd felt before.

But Leon still hated himself. He hated himself because he'd reacted to easily, succumbing to the impulse to own, to have her, not really caring for her. All his restraints had fallen the second she'd said "I'm yours", but he'd still tried holding onto them, even when they graduately got naked and made love on her bed, as tenderly as their impatience allowed. It was a fever they could not sweat out, and Leon was still feeling compelled to wake her up with a kiss for another round. Never mind they'd wake everyone in the dorm up, but…

He sighed, looking over at her automatic clock. Fifty nine minutes past midnight. They'd become one exactly as the clock struck twelve and the ball rolled towards the next day…it would've been symbolic and ironic, had this day not been the one he'd been dreading in a whole month. Leon closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his forehead, feeling an incoming headache as the tears burned into his eyes. He pulled his act together enough to make sure Sora was still sound asleep, before he struggled out of the bed.

He pulled the covers around her until her body was safely cocooned in them. Then he made sure the heat was on, so that she wouldn't wake up with a flu in this cold room. Leon knew he should have left when he slipped into his clothes, but he couldn't help but sit down at the edge of her bed and watch her sleep for an extra hour, in spite of the danger of her waking up. A part of him wanted her to wake up and stop this disaster in the making, but in spite of every fiber of his body screaming for her, he didn't go back in her bed. Leon watched her with a strange endearment as she nuzzled his pillow, her arms still thrown over the place where his body had lied, seeking him without waking up.

"I'm sorry." He choked on the words, and didn't say the rest. I'm sorry, Sophie, for doing this on that day of all days, and I'm sorry, Sora, for what I'm about to do to you. Slowly, he walked out on the balcony and slipped down on the ground, leaving the room as quietly as he'd come in. The clock counted 2…and Sora opened her eyes briefly, eyeing the door darkly, before nuzzling his pillow with a resigned sigh and forcing herself to sleep.

* * *

**A/N-Wondering why Leon is such a meanie? If you didn't understand from the last 20 or so chapters, I'm writing him like a damn emo. And he's an emo because I'm an emo and the whole story should be changed to a Drama/Emo/Romance because...**

**Ah, fuck it. Sorry folks, I know it's not exactly what you expected, but I intended to make this story a few more chapters long. And I'm such a douche because my doctor scared the shit out of me, telling me I might have tuberculosis...needless to say I'm a little emo right now.**

**Review and I'll reveal who Allegro is in the next chapter...not that anyone cares who that bastard is anyway, since he hasn't made an appearance in over a bazillion chapters, but...**


	22. Chapter 22

It was an eventful, busy day. The news of Mr. Hamilton's condition had spread faster than wildfire on their side of the coast, making the news and tabloids instantaneously. Kalos called a familiar journalist to suggest that they drop a gentle hint that the performance would be postponed, but not cancelled. Sarah mobilized everyone who didn't have to do anything immediately to help out in the ticket centre, help with the calls from customers and instruct them on the differences made on the release date.

That was where Sora spent most of her day-sitting on a desk and answering calls. It was a relatively easy job-she was good with computers, and her cheerful attitude managed to soothe even the grumpiest of customers. Even though she was now the Top Star, Sora never really gave up on cleaning up the little glass globe that stood in front of the ticket office, or change light bulbs, or even carry costumes around-she liked to channel her love for the stage in many ways, and with having friends as doting as hers was limiting the time she could spend practicing.

So the situation was far from bothersome for her. In fact, it had a plus to it-since she was non the phone most of the time, Sora didn't have to answer any questions regarding her date the previous night, and after lunch, everyone seemed to lose interest in favor of the big news-when Charlotte and Julie had gone to wake May up in the morning, she had appeared on the door clad in Ken's purple stage jacket…only in Ken's purple stage jacket. This time, Sarah had been the gleeful one, for no apparent reason, but for Sora that sort of news was a little irrelevant. As long as nobody asked her why she was working in the ticket office in the first place-a reason that had caused quite a stir at breakfast, and a reason she didn't quite wish to discuss.

Because Leon was nowhere to be found.

She knew because she'd virtually looked everywhere-the bay, the kitchen, the dorms and the big top, the dressing rooms, the practice rooms, backstage, the upper construction, even at the place where the motorboat they used for practicing the Angel's Act was usually docked. He looked like he'd vanished. Ever since he'd left in the wee hours of the morning, there seemed to be no living creature that had seen him, and since people still didn't know what had occurred between the two partners, they all thought that Leon had left after the party he and Sora had attended.

It didn't help when Sarah explained that this was his day off, and that it had been determined long before he even set foot in Kaleido Stage.

"Leon's a perfectionist. When something doesn't work out, he makes it work out. He rarely gets sick and even when he's on a vacation, he's on stand by in case we need him here." She had said "However, on the 22nd of February, each year, with no excuse or exception, he is getting his day off, and nobody is allowed to even think about contacting him."

"Isn't that a little tricky?" Mia had asked "I mean, we could have a performance then, and since he's one of the top artists, he must be there. Couldn't he choose a more common holiday for his day off, like Easter or Christmas perhaps?"

"Kalos and I were also surprised at this clause of his contract, but his agent stood firmly behind it. After considering it, it didn't seem like such a big deal-we were the ones negotiating the dates for the performances, so technically there was no problem in taking this date into consideration. Besides, the biggest clash of people is during the holidays, girls. He'd be more needed during Christmas and Easter than any other time in the year."

"Yeah, but still…It's not right. People take weeks off, they plan their trips, they put them in synch with the others. And he's Sora's partner, his going away practically paralyzes the entire circus!"

"He hasn't paralyzed us now, has he? Actually, I don't know…but he stood firmly behind that date. He even suggested that he was willing to compromise with payment to have that day off. It must be important." Sarah had glanced over at Sora "You wouldn't happen to know, would you, Sora? Did he tell you yesterday?"

"I've no clue." The starlet had replied, and that was perfectly true

"Well…I guess that we don't have much of a choice then." Mia resigned herself "Anyways, we shouldn't be bothered, it's none of our business."

But it _did_ bother Sora…and she felt like it _was_ her business. When she'd visited the dorms, she had taken the water pipe instead of the stairs, hoping to catch Leon, but he hadn't been there. His room was clean, since he didn't have much things to begin with, but she saw a heap of ashes on the balcony floor-as if somebody had been burning something there. It had been enough of a proof that he wouldn't be inside…She was surprised at the speed with which his actions became clear to her, or at least most of them did. However, the question most important at the moment remained unanswered.

* * *

Sora managed somehow until lunch, avoiding effectively dodging any attempts at conversation or killing any in the making. When she went to the mess hall, it became clear that her date was not the thing that excited the spirits. May and Ken's little affair wasn't even topping the list of news. Apparently, the whole Valentine's Day frenzy had come late by a week, nearly everyone had seemed to be engaged in some kind of mating ritual the previous night-Ken and May (according to them) had been watching a movie and had lost track of time. Mia and Aaron and Marion had gone out to have dinner at some nearby sandwich place, and the little girl was already teaching Mia how to play volleyball with Jonathan. Anna and Dio had gone to the movies, but neither remembered the name of the feature. Kalos and Sarah….well, it was pretty easy to imagine what those guys did in their spare time.

Every one of these little romantic moments was discussed during lunch, and to say that Sora had a hard time to go through it with a straight face was a feat of nature would be an understatement. Even her little date with Leon had made the news….literally. Around the end of the lunch, Mia pulled out her laptop and showed Sora that there had been journalists for "Classic Life" recording the opening of the dance studio.

"Apparently, you and Leon pulled such a fantastic tango out there…" She said as she typed furiously on the keyboard "That they chose to put it in the article instead of the original rumba demonstration by Christina Rockland and George Huntington, apprentices of THE Samuel Pickett."

"Do you know him?" Sora asked fervently

"No, but the guys who covered the opening obviously do. They speak of him as some sort of God. But…" Mia paused, and gasped, as the music from the tango spilled from her laptop "…I can see that you guys left them breathing your dust, Sora."

"Wow!" Anna exclaimed "You've gotta be kidding me! Is that really you guys?"

"What?!" May screeched "No way! Sora, when did you learn to dance like that?!"

Sora swallowed with difficulty as her own eyes grazed the screen and focused on the couple dancing there. Well no wonder they'd lost their minds last night, she thought, she couldn't recognize herself out there. Sure, the woman dancing there shared some similarities with her (they wore the same dress, per instance), but holy shit, it had nothing to do with timid, shy Sora. That woman out there wasn't by far as passionate and wild as Christina, but she was sensual and tentative, and Leon…Leon was…absolutely responsive to everything she did.

Looking at the footage, she saw more than just two people dancing. They were different, yes, but she was not totally alienated from them. She could recognize herself in her 'alter ego' on the screen, as easily as she could recognize Leon's. These weren't two crazy versions of themselves, they were Sora and Leon as much as the present Sora and Leon were…well, themselves. However, Sora was ready to embrace both the shy girl and that sensual woman onscreen, while Leon seemed more inclined to remain the person he was and not let his feeling run to the extent where he would open his heart to his partner. Although, if last night…or rather, this morning, was any indication, he didn't mind opening up to her. Especially since they'd pretty much gone through all the things a couple does…minus all the emotional bullshit.

Emotional bullshit…did she really think just that?

When she sat down back in the tickets office she noticed that Layla had tried contacting her through the skype, so she hurried to call her back. It took a few goes, but finally, her mentor answered.

"How are things going, Sora?" Layla asked, not being one to beat around the bush

"Well, we're doing our best postponing the performance, and the audience doesn't seem too angry, once the reasons are explained…"

"I wasn't asking that. How did your date last night go?" there was some shuffling around before Layla turned her web camera on. The image was fuzzy at first, but she could tell that Layla was in her bedroom. And…why was she wearing nothing but a shirt? Oh, crap….

"Well, it…." Sora blushed and stammered "Layla-san, is there a…um….way we could discuss this when you come back? I…eh….don't think that I can talk about it over the net. And….is that Yuri-san in the bed?"

There was a quiet 'oh' from the other line, then some shuffling and then the screen turned. From what Sora could tell, it was being moved. When it all finally settled down, Layla let out a small smile. "Sorry about that. I sort of forgot he was there."

"I'm glad you two worked things out, Layla-san." Sora smiled sincerely

"Yeah, we did, didn't we…" she drawled, flicking her hair over her shoulder, before leaning in to whisper secretly "Actually, I shouldn't be telling anyone this but…"

"We're engaged!" Yuri chirped, flinging her arms around her and grinning widely at the camera "Did you hear that, Sora? Engaged! She finally accepted!"

"Stop it, Yuri! You can't say stuff like this…" Layla objected, although she was already giggling with pleasure. The two wrestled playfully for a while, before Yuri grabbed her arm and moved it so that the ring could flash in the camera.

"I'm marrying the most beautiful woman in the world."

"And I'm marrying the most childish man in the world." She batted him away and looked at the screen "Are you there, Sora? You went awfully quiet just now."

"Ah….yes, I….I'm sorry…I mean, I'm happy. Congratulations!"

"Thanks…" Layla sounded relieved "Actually, nobody really knows, so I hope you won't ruin it for us by telling them. I want to get a good look at their faces when we drop the bomb."

"Hey, Layla, how about…"

"No." she cut him off. He whispered something and Layla groaned "Fine, fine. Sora, I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Sure." The young woman hurried to say, but there was definitely a little disappointed when the conversation was abruptly cut off and she was left alone in the ticket office. She stood there, dumbfound for a few minutes, before standing up abruptly and running out the door, after leaving Sarah a note that she was taking a break.

* * *

Obviously going to work was a bad idea. Sora had been contemplating the possibility of staying in her room with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate, and it wasn't all that impossible-everyone was pestering her about taking a break since New Years. But that was just the problem-suddenly agreeing with them and taking a break would be like telling them that something was wrong, and with Leon not there to tell them, to lie to them that it had nothing to do with their date, they would certainly figure out the truth. So she'd gone to work, avoiding all conversation easily, knowing that last night would be brought up sooner or later and she'd have to answer, and she really hated to talk about it before she knew what the hell was going on there.

Sora walked to the beach and swung herself on the rail that separated it from the boardwalk. She settled for a semi-difficult position, knowing that whomever looked at her would think she was doing balance exercises. It was the best way to stay with her head in the sand and not be blatantly obvious-if she chose to go to her room, or walk around aimlessly, or sit down staring at some point, everyone would know she was conflicted. At least this sort of exercise didn't demand much attention from her.

Truth to be told, she wasn't angry. She wasn't conflicted. It wasn't because of all her experience (ditto), or her ability to read people, but she'd gone past all these stages and settled directly on what could be called a perpetual feeling of sadness.

She didn't doubt that Leon had felt something last night, otherwise he wouldn't have done it. Being with him had brought her a huge understanding of his character, if not any more clarity to his reasons. He was the type of man to hold back on his emotions, probably because he knew him emotions always led him to do things that he would regret…Which didn't do well for her, because if last night's Leon hadn't been the one brought out by all the emotional charge from the party, she couldn't imagine what he would do. Perhaps he felt sorry because he didn't want to hurt her….which was stupid because she wouldn't have started the whole thing if she didn't want it.

So the problem was all in his head. And Sora was feeling sad because of it. Because if he was sorry for what he did, that meant that he either didn't feel so much as she did for him, or…what? He felt too much? Honestly, this was more confusing than an advanced chemistry class, but Sora wasn't ready for this sort of pondering. And when her own insecurities added up to this disastrous concoction, she was more inclined to believe the former rather than the latter conclusion-aka, last night had been a mistake. She couldn't honestly see why else would Leon not talk to her otherwise, or at least stay with her until morning to try and let her know his position in things.

Well…or at least he could've tried. Instead, he'd left.

Alright…Sora sighed, changing her legs gracefully, eyes still set at the beach. She wasn't being completely honest-she was scared too. Scared of what her friends might say (although if last week was an indication, they'd throw her a bloody party for finally nailing the hottest available guy in the company), scared of what she and Leon would become, scared of the feelings that were raging in her....and it would've been hypocritical to say that she was willing to be brave enough to face them, because when she'd felt him get out of bed last night, she'd taken the cowardly way out and kept her eyes shut. She'd focused on making him believe she was asleep, and that he could get out unnoticed, probably because she was too afraid to open her eyes, face him so soon after they'd….done that and hear that it was a mistake.

What was wrong with her, she frowned, she couldn't even bring herself to say it! How could she properly define their relationship now if she couldn't even pick a term for what they'd done? Fucked? Too crude. Had sex? Too general. Made love? There had been an emotional charge to it, but it wasn't something she was willing to branch right now. So what were they? Lovers? No. Partners? Probably, but more likely not. Friends with benefits? For that they had to be one-friends, and two-repeat what they did, and Leon had shown no indication of wanting either.

It was getting depressing. Sora knew from previous experience that Leon was not going to come to her until he wanted to, or open up to her until he was ready to. Waiting for him seemed like the best option right now….but still...May and Ken hit it off as naturally as if they'd been practicing their whole lives for this, while they'd never exchanged more than a few unfriendly words before. And although Sora didn't know anything about this before, Mia and Aaron's….errr…friendship, was developing quite nicely, given that their circumstances were far from normal. And Yuri and Layla were getting married…how cool was that?! Especially after this horrid week.

She was happy for them, all of them, really. But there was also frustration laced with it-she could be the brave little soldier and act happy for her friends, but she was also getting angry that they got their happily ever afters so quickly and with so little effort, while it had taken her literally months before she could get Leon to talk to her like a normal person, without throwing her scathing glances and frown angrily.

"Sora…" A voice snapped her out of her trance and she looked down to see May, all black hair and scolding eyes.

"Ah, May…Sorry, was I spacing out? Because I know I can…"

"No, you didn't. Although now that you confirmed it for me, it's pretty obvious you've been preoccupied. What's wrong?" May asked, perching herself on the railing, still looking up at her friend.

"No…nothing's wrong. Why do you think something's wrong?" Sora tried to look sheepish, but May only scowled at her.

"Leon did something, didn't he?" she asked, hitting the nail straight on the head. Well…she had to hand it to her, she knew what she was doing. Sora looked at her for a few seconds, debating whether it was too late to deny it, then sat down with a sigh.

"I really don't want to talk about it."

"Did he act like an ass for no reason?" May snapped, looking at her carefully "Because if he did, I swear…."

"We talked until I fell asleep. Then he left. It wasn't like he was supposed to stay there until the morning." Ok, she wasn't lying there. They had talked. He had been thinking that she was asleep. She didn't do anything to stop him when he left, which is equal to being fast asleep. He wasn't really obliged to stay until morning. She just…didn't mention what they had been doing before the talking.

"Well…" May huffed, looking strangely pleased and indignant at the same time. "At least he didn't try to take advantage of you. I mean, I did go out with Ken and we did cover a few basis last night, but at least I knew about the bet."

"The bet?" Sora asked curiously

"Yeah. Ken, Leon and Yuri spent Valentine's day sorting out through Leon's huge ass fan mail and somewhere during the run they started the usual male-male bonding ritual of cock contests…" May snorted "Anyway, Ken got introduced to alcohol and he started teasing Leon about not having a girlfriend. Finally, this ended up in the striking of a bet, or a pact of sorts, that they will go out with a girl by the end of the week, and since we all know how dates usually end…well…" May grinned "I'm happy that Leon was a perfect gentleman, Sora."

"Yeah…" she nodded, her smile nearly failing her "A perfect gentleman…but…May…how long did you know about this?"

"Err…since Tuesday, I think. After all the rumors spread, Ken and I originally teamed up to beat them…but then we decided that we're much better off together than not."

"But…if you knew about this, why didn't you tell me or Layla-san. Moreover, why did you help everyone dress me up for last night?"

"Do you think I'd have let you go out on such an important place dressed like some so-and-so? You had to be pretty. Besides, you and Leon had to have fun, that was more important. I honestly didn't see any problem in making you the prettiest girl out there, and if Leon had to be forced into acting like a human being, I don't see what the problem is." May give her a pointed look "He didn't do anything inappropriate to you, right?"

"No, of course not." Nothing that she didn't ask him to, anyways. She saw May off, before dismounting the rail and walking towards the sea. Her thoughts were blank.

She crouched over down on the sand, wondering whether or not to cry, when she noticed the flask of white a little ahead of her. Usually, that wouldn't have surprised her, since the sea was wild half the time, but this was a different white. It seemed to shine stronger than the foam on the waves, and it didn't move around. As she stood up, she realized that a large wreath of flowers was being caught up in the tide.

Sora rubbed her temples wearily, before taking a snappy decision. She waded through the water, ignoring the cold sting and her flesh freezing, and picked up the wreath.

It was gorgeous. White lilies and daffodils laced around with white ribbons-a lovely bouquet, albeit looking rather sad when stuck with all the garbage in the water. Sora looked around for a comfortable place to throw it from and then….then it hit her.

Lilies and daffodils, seven from each, laced with white. Mourning flowers. That was a funeral wreath.

Goddamn it! How could've she been so stupid? Sora suppressed her gasp, but her eyes stung immediately with tears. She wiped them away hastily, before moving deeper in the ocean and throwing the wreath with all her strength. It landed a few feet away from her, but luckily the tide got it and moved it deeper….like it was meant to be.

The starlet went out of the water, squeezing her pants legs dry as much as she could, before breaking into a run.

* * *

_Gotta find Leon. Gotta find Leon. Gotta find Leon._ She repeated the mantra in her head as her wet flats hammered on her heels. Sure she was a trained acrobat, but try running in wet pants, especially on a cold February day. Yeah…not pleasant.

She didn't give a damn, though. She knew Sarah would probably kill her for what she wanted, but hopefully one look at her pitiful state would convince the older woman to help, even with the risk of facing Leon's wrath later. And he would definitely have something to be angry about.

But Sora didn't care. She had to find him, talk to him, and apologize for her behavior. She had to talk to him, knowing full well that he was less than inclined to listen, and hoping that her miserable look would help her fight that man's compelling urge to shut himself up and grieve alone. Because she knew what day was today. One week since Valentine's day. Seven days since he, Ken and Yuri had struck that pact. Less than 14 or so hours after he'd devirginized her (oh, how beautiful that term sounded). A year after he and May had won the World Circus Festival. But today was a lot more than that.

It was four years since Sophie had died.

And how could've she been as stupid as not to be able to foresee it before? She knew from Yuri that Sophie had died on the day of the Festival, and that it was still a sore wound for Leon to talk about it. She knew from Leon's outbursts that whenever his sister was mentioned, there was not a trace left of the calm, composed man she knew-depending on the occasion, these mood swings would vary from affectionate through serene to anger, all devastating in their vehemence. The World Festival had probably tested his ability to control himself at its fullest, and Sora had been looking out for the Day of Judgment when the Devil in Leon would be out on a rampage. Unfortunately, she'd picked the day before that to trick him into a date after a week full of intentional and unintentional sexual innuendos, danced a particularly close dance with him and seduced him into having sex with her….wait a sec, was it really yesterday? Or maybe the clock had struck twelve.

Either way, it was no surprise that he left. For all she knew, that, combined with the bet probably equals to….she had to find Leon. Now!

Sarah couldn't have been more surprised at Sora's sudden barging in the office, asking for Leon's number. At first, it was difficult to get the words out of her mouth, let alone a whole sentence, but when the martial artist finally grasped that Sora was in a dire need to get a hold of Leon….well, let's say that her reaction wasn't what she expected. Ever.

"You want to talk to Leon?"

"Yes! Can you find him? I know he'll be pissed, but he has to have a cell phone, right? This is extremely important, Sarah-san!"

"You mean he didn't tell you?" she asked, looking every bit of the worried mother hen that she felt like "Oh, dear…"

"What? Tell me what?"

"Sora, why not sit here? I….eh…I really need you to sit down before I break this news to you."

Her eyes widened "Did something happen? Don't tell me that…" she choked, not being able to process the rest of the sentence.

"No, no, nothing happened, it's just that…" Sarah sighed "Didn't he tell you? About Edward?"

"Who's Edward?"

"Oh, my…." She sighed, motioning her to sit down, and that time she complied, her worry-added brain quickly reaching the conclusion that she'd get what she wanted faster like that. "Alright, sweetie…although I cannot believe he didn't talk to you about this…a few days ago a friend of ours, Edward, who owns a ballet company in New York, came to visit, and proposed that if you and Leon felt like having a vacation, he could show you around New York. He's seen your performances and thinks they're superb, but…ah…Kalos didn't really want to tell you guys about his offer, because…well…over the years, Edward's snagged some of our top performers with trips to New York and his company, you know, as a test run, and then they don't want to come back again. So naturally Kalos wasn't very eager to share this information with Leon, but he couldn't hide it from him. We thought that Leon had told you about it as well."

"No, he didn't. But what does this have to do with not being able to reach him?" Sora asked, feeling more and more confused

"Sora…he called me not an hour ago to tell me he wanted to take Edward up on his offer and go to visit. He said that it was alright with you, since the performance was perfect, and we could deal without him for a week or so." Sarah was shaking her hands at that point, clearly alarmed "I got the impression that he'd told you and that you'd decided that you preferred to stay here."

She couldn't think. "When does his plane leave?"

"In an hour, but…"

"Thanks, Sarah-san." Sora stood up and bolted for the door.

Making a record run for the airport (or the taxi stand, in her case) was starting to become a habit of hers, and she barely thought twice about it as she performed that veritable physical feat. All the time, her mind raced.

She knew she had to find Leon and stop him, or at least talk to him, before he got on that plane. Call it a crazy sixth sense of sorts, but Sora could very easily see what would happen if they didn't talk before he got to New York. Leon was…difficult to read, but it was fairly easy to tell that he would wallow in self-pity and anger to the point where staying in the Big Apple and never returning to Kaleido Stage was not an impossibility. And while he was in his full right to be angry with her, Sora couldn't let him go. Not like that. Not without letting him know where she stood.

* * *

The airport at Cape Mary was not too far away from the centre of the city, and from the jumbled calculations she'd made in her head, she'd be able to catch Leon before he passed the security control and entered the departures lounge. He couldn't have had much time to assemble a lot of luggage, he probably had just a little carry on, but he couldn't have passed the gate, right?

She bolted through the door, her eyes scanning the crowd for a tall man with silver hair, but the security gate was on another floor. She had to get one floor bellow, but whether she would take the elevator or the stairs? She went for the elevator, since its walls were glass covered, and she could get a good look at the people down. Sure enough, as she was squeezing between an old gentleman and an overweight lady with a pink dress, she caught a flask of silver heading for the security gate.

Sora was calculating how loudly she could yell his name, when suddenly, the elevator froze between the two floors, shaking considerably for good measure, throwing her straight at the lady.

Oh, no, she thought. Oh, no….

She stood up, feeling the panic rise in her throat as she looked around, and upon seeing no indication of the elevator moving, slapped her palms at the glass and looked at Leon, who was just putting his carry-on in the x-ray platter. "Leon…" She whispered "Leon, don't go…" But of course, he couldn't hear her.

* * *

**A/N-The TBC scare is officially over...sorry to bother y'all. **

**Anyways....review!**


	23. Chapter 23

Sora rubbed her temples wearily as she stared at the departures board. Leon's plane was boarding now, and in another half an hour he'd be on his way towards New York, and she'd be left here biting at her nails, hoping that he wouldn't decide to stay there for good. She knew Kalos could probably sue him for walking out on them in the middle of a performance (so to speak), but she knew that they had to settle their differences and stop this disaster in the making.

Funny…she'd never thought he would be the type to run. Maybe she'd changed him a little. As flattering as that was, Sora couldn't quite comprehend why women wanted men to change. Why were they the only ones to change, to make the sacrifices? It takes two to tango, right? Oh…tango…bad idea…ignore memory, quickly!

She groaned, looking over her shoulder. Now what?

"Sora!" she turned around to see Sarah sprinting towards her, a duffel bag dangling from her shoulder. "Sora, did you get him?"

"No." she mumbled miserably "And his plane leaves soon. The elevator I was in broke down just as he was passing through the gate."

"Damn." She groaned, rubbing her forehead while she struggled to catch her breath "I knew something like this was going to happen." The martial artist eyed Sora speculatively "You really have to talk to him, don't you?"

"Yes. We…" Sora paused "I think that one of the reasons why he's going to New York is because of me. And I also think that I better talk to him, or there'll be a good chance that he'll stay there for good. Believe me when I say this, he won't give a dime about previous engagements."

The older woman looked at her knowingly, before nodding. "I knew this was going to happen." Then, without a word, she swung the duffel bag from her shoulder and thrust it at Sora.

"Sarah-san?" she looked at her questioningly.

"This is for your trip." Was the curt explanation "I didn't have much time, so I rounded up Mia, Anna and May to prepare you a change of clothes, a toothbrush and a warmer coat, since it'll probably be freezing in New York. Leon wanted to leave as soon as possible, so I got him on the first flight, but he'll be making a two hour transfer in South Dakota. While the girls packed for you, I arranged to get you on a plane that'll get you to the airport a little before his departure, and just in case, I arranged for your seat to be next to his." Sora's expression must've been one of gaping shock, because Sarah laughed "I'm a little magic-maker when it comes to booking things. I even called the hotel where you'd stay to ask them to change the reservation for a double, since you guys obviously have no trouble sharing a room."

"What would've you done if I had caught him at the airport?" Sora stuttered, awed at her friend's ability to collect herself so easily

"Nothing. I'd have called Edward to tell him that the plans got cancelled because Layla returned. It would've been fun to piss him off, I admit." Her eyes darkened and suddenly, she became serious "Sora, I've calculated this up to a T, don't miss your chance this time."

"Yes." She nodded, hugged her, thanked her again…and headed for the ticket booth.

* * *

Last minute reservations were a nightmare. She wondered what Sarah had done to pull all this off just an hour, but she didn't make a note to ask her-the cost would probably make her head turn.

The plane Sarah had gotten her on was carrying citruces from the Sunny Californian coast to Dakota, and Sora couldn't help but laugh at the irony of her trying to hold herself in her place while a banana or an orange occasionally bounced into her lap from the turbulence. Talk about monkey-ing around. The pilot, apparently, was a friend of Sarah's who just couldn't resist a demand from her, but Sora could swear that she overheard him mumble something about crazy women. She apologized as much as she could for the inconvenience, but he just waved her off and told her to sit still.

She took the time between their arrival at the airport to check out the luggage the girls had packed for her. Yes, there was a warm coat, jeans, a sweater for her, a pair of boots, and a toothbrush, but also the girls had though necessary to pack her leotard, tights and a pair flats, as well as only God knew how many pairs of underwear. She even found a note saying to pull the curtains because New York was full of perverts. May….

Before she knew it, the plane hit the ground and a little afterwards, she was making a beeline for the departures gate for the flight to New York. The passengers from Leon's flight were already there, and admits all the chattering tourists she caught sight of him, sitting on one of the chairs, gaze fixed directly in the small book in his hands. His brow was furrowed and he seemed restless, because even from a distance, she could see his chest rising and falling because of an all-too-constant sighing. He was troubled, there was no doubt for it. Unluckily, his dark aura did nothing to disciple the attraction he held for women. There were several trying to talk to him and another dozen that were ogling at him like crazy.

She bit her lip and felt her courage leave her. Alright, so she didn't know what to tell him, or how to tell it to him, or even how to approach him, but she had to…she'd come that far! Sora made her way towards the bathroom to quickly change her clothes (even in the warm airport, her flats and pants felt too light), and also refresh herself. She'd heard May say that it was the best thing a girl could do to herself, to splash some water in her face and clear her thoughts. That, she did, but she had no idea what to do afterwards.

The idea didn't hit her until she walked out, shrugging on her coat and marveling the lightness of the duffel now. She passed the airport gift shop…and suddenly reeled around and walked inside.

* * *

Leon all but breathed a "Hallelujah" when he finally collapsed on his seat, closed his eyes and fazed the sounds around him. Children wailing, luggage being put away, chattering…oh, that damned chattering. He wanted to jump on his feet and roar at the entire plane to shut the hell up, but even in his condition it was a ridiculous notion.

A few more hours and he'd be out of this dreaded condition. It was no secret, he hated traveling, with the constant security checks, annoying safety lectures, people trying to start small talk with him, women ogling and trying to get his attention…it gave him a constant headache. It was probably all in his head, but he also thought that the women staring at him had multiplied today, somehow. He'd been talked to more than in his entire life, as if he was wearing a sign "I'm available, I want to talk." As if! Even the stewardess on the departures gate had held onto his passport for longer than it was allowed anywhere, trying desperately so look hot and available.

He'd wanted to sneer at her, or say something cutting, something cold, to convince not only her but the entire airplane that he was mentally unstable and he wanted people to leave him alone. It wasn't that hard, was it? It was a simple, teeny-weeny request. How hard could it be? He just wanted to be left alone.

Left alone to think about Sora and Sophie, the two women of his life whom he seemed to have a tendency to let down and hurt no matter what he did. Originally, he hadn't wanted to leave, he'd just wanted to spend this one day alone, think about his beloved sister, hoping that Sora would understand…And then he'd remembered about Edward's offer and just like the coward he was, he'd called Sarah, practically ordering her to get him on the plane to New York, without so much as a goodbye or a word of explanation to Sora.

He ignored the voice in his head that he was only making things worse and moving away from her like that. Yes, he hurt her. Yes, he was making things worse. But did she honestly deserve him of all people? Him, a selfish bastard who constantly screwed up, who constantly damaged her, physically and mentally, because he couldn't pull himself together? Really, what was wrong with her? Why would she want him in the first place?

There was a utopist part of him that suggested that if she still wanted him after that, he'd explain things to her and then they'd live happily ever after. However, Michel Foucault said utopias didn't exist (_"Les mots et les choses" _Preface) and he was willing to agree with him. It was more likely that he'd never muster the courage to come back and bury his head in the sand. Right now, he just wanted to curl himself into a ball and sleep, and hope that his neighbor would catch the drift and NOT try to talk to him. It was dark outside, probably it was very late, with him traveling from West to East and stuff like that, but being a performer, he'd gotten very used to having a messed-up schedule.

As if on cue, there was a whiff of air, a little rustling as the person put their carry-on up in the luggage compartment and then the seat next to him creaked inaudibly, announcing his neighbor's arrival. He didn't look away from the window, he didn't want to look anywhere but the cold darkness outside and let it seep through his veins. However, there was a part of him that commanded that he act with dignity even when he felt like he was five feet under, so he turned around to acknowledge the presence of the person with a nod or a remark on the weather, at best.

Imagine his surprise when, upon turning around, he looked down and saw a familiar mop of candy hair, ruffled from the wind outside and smelling slightly…orangey. The shock was almost enough to make him jump in his seat, but he quickly commanded his body to stay calm. Before the logical part of his brain suggested that lots of people dye their hair these days, his eyes swept downward, recognizing the somehow familiar coat and the fluffy white sweater underneath, all the way to the tiny hands who were fiddling with the seatbelt.

"Sora?" he rasped, barely controlling the emotion in his voice. She looked up and, sure enough, that was Sora, his Sora. There was no way he could mistake the brilliant complexion, the deep brown eyes, the slight upturn of her nose or even those tiny freckles on her cheeks, so pale you couldn't notice them until you looked hard enough. She was even smiling like Sora, although the curve of her lips was thinner, more tired than before, a little…weary. She was weary of him…

Of course, he scoffed at himself, it wasn't like he hadn't given her a reason to. Well, a part of him was glad of it, it meant that she was finally understanding what was best for her. Still, he had to ask.

"What are you doing here?"

She put a finger to her lips, before fiddling with the notebook and the pen in her lap. Turning the cover over she quickly scribbled something down and turned it towards him to read. His eyes narrowed as he leaned in to make out the letters:

_"It's my seat. Sarah-san arranged it somehow that we sit together through this flight."_ It read. He looked at her confused, before she added _"She called herself a magic-maker and I have to agree. I actually made it on time to catch the plane, since I missed you on the airport at Cape Mary."_

Leon scowled and put his hand up towards her, palm up, buying in her game. She beamed and handed the pen and notebook at him. His handwriting underneath hers was embarrassingly proper and elegant: _"Why are you here? And why are we writing in a notebook instead of talking like normal people?"_ he hesitated, before adding carefully _"You didn't lose your voice somehow, did you?" _

She giggled when she read it and added quickly. _"It's not nice to make a scene in an airplane, Leon. And I decided that maybe if I can't tell you how I felt, I might be able to write it down."_

Well that pretty much explained it all. His surprise disappeared and he retreated to his former melancholic state. _"You shouldn't have come. You should've stayed at Cape Mary."_

_"I should've, but that's not what I wanted."_ She replied, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth as she wrote. He wanted to laugh at her expression, but he knew that the situation was much more serious. Just as she was starting the next line, the engines roared to life, startling both of them and causing her to drop the notebook. They both leaned in to grab it, bumping their heads in the process. She grinned sheepishly, letting him pick up the object. His eyes fell on the sentence _"I couldn't let you leave without…"_

He scowled and asked silently for the pen to finish the line _"Without your forgiveness?"_

Her eyes were sad as she reached and took it back _"No. Without hearing what I have to say. Or…read in this case. And there is nothing for me to forgive right now-we both know it."_

"_I'm afraid that there is a lot to forgive, Sora. For one thing, I used you very badly."_

"_Why? I was the one who started it, wasn't I? Besides, that's hardly the point."_

"_How can you possibly say that?"_

_  
"I am, aren't I?" _The pen was practically flying between the two, and Leon was tapping his fingers impatiently for her to hand it over. _"I'd dearly love to know what you think you're so guilty of, Leon."_

"_Don't play dumb. Do you realize that last night I…" _He hesitated, mumbled curses underneath his nose and looked around, before writing down _"You deserved better than me for your first time."_

"_Oh, so maybe if it was my second time, it would've been different." _She rolled her eyes, and he finally understood why they were writing instead of talking. Every woman on the plane was looking at them, not very friendlily at that, and the ones that were the closest were straining their ears to hear something or to catch a glimpse in the notebook. _"Leon, that doesn't matter. It would've happened sooner or later, wouldn't it?"_

"_That's hardly a reason."_

"_Like yours is any better. Whatever the case, you know very well that it wouldn't have mattered what I deserved, it was what I wanted."_ He didn't make a move to reply, so she added _"This isn't about me, and you know that, Leon. However, I couldn't let you go to New York and suffer alone, because I know that's what you would've done." _

As she turned the notebook towards him, she leaned in and opened her mouth for the first time during the flight, whispering: "I know about Sophie."

She knew about Sophie. Suddenly, his shoulders relaxed and he looked at her, almost relieved. She returned to her writing: _"I realized it a little too late, but I wanted to tell you that. I'm not angry for your leaving or anything else. I know it's hard."_

"_Still, I was pretty insensitive." _Leon finally wrote down. _"I treat my pain as if it's mine alone, without letting anyone else in. I forget that I'm not the only one who's lost a precious person."_

"_That you are. I just wish that I'd been less of a coward and opened my eyes last night instead of pretending to be asleep."_

Leon regarded her, startled. She giggled again and added: _"I guess that I still hadn't pieced the puzzle together, Allegro."_

Now he was scared. And she knew it. _"You said that you started playing about a special occasion and then you'd stop again. It was about the anniversary, wasn't it?"_

"_You never miss anything, do you?" _he looked annoyed. She snorted.

"_Only when it's too late that I piece things together, though. I must say that you got me that last time. How did you manage to type without your hands?"_

"_You were playing music, so you couldn't hear me dictate to Fool. He was a little too eager to help."_

"_Should've known. He hasn't been around ever since. Did you lock him in a shoebox so that he wouldn't tell?"_

"_You seem strangely pleased that I deceived you."_

"_Yes, that you did. I mean how could you say that only darkness gave you beauty when every sane person knows that it's not true."_ She paused, before adding _"Is the piano the same as the ballroom dancing? You don't do it anymore because it reminds you of your past?"_

"_In a way. But Sophie loved the piano. That's why I thought that I practice a little before playing for her on her day."_

"_You're a kind brother, you know that."_

_  
"But a lousy friend. And an even worse lover. I should've been more open with you. Instead, I acted selfishly and hurt you. I'd have begged your forgiveness, but you wouldn't let me now, would you?"_

"_No, I wouldn't. I don't blame you."_

"_Not for leaving you back then and now. I've done you very wrong. I underestimated you, I hurt you, I pushed you to your limit only to throw you away, and then I used you just to put my guilty mind at ease. I…" _He groaned and handed over the notebook, exasperated. She just sighed and wrote down.

"_It's easier to write, and yet it's a hell of a lot more difficult, isn't it? You have time to consider your words…I'm still not mad at you. Not for anything. You did what you thought was right at the time."_

_  
"I was selfish." _He snatched the pen _"Have you any idea how I lived until you met me? Until I met you? I only cared for my sake, I kept fighting just to prove that my sister's dream was nothing but a mirage, without even considering how she would've felt. And even after the Angel's Act, I was selfish. I constantly clung to you, thinking that you were some sort of a reincarnation of her spirit, or a creature sent to help me and me alone. When I convinced myself that you were an ordinary human, I still wanted to possess you. To make you mine and mine alone. You've no idea what happened to me when I saw you and Killian together talking this week, you…" _

Leon groaned, tucked the pen away and leaned in so that he could whisper in Sora's ear. "We actually made a bet. How can you possibly want me now?"

"I know about the bet." She replied calmly, taking the notebook and wrote _"May told me a little before I came looking for you. She said that if that was what took you to act like a human being, it was only for the best."_

"_Figures."_ He wrote back. Sora yawned, and as if on cue her eyelids fluttered. Leon sighed, took the paper and the pen, pulled up the armrest that separated their bodies and tucked her in closer to him, so that her head could rest on his shoulder "Sleep now." He whispered "We're still a long way from New York."

"I didn't even say half the things I wanted to say." she replied, nuzzling the crook of his neck, basking in the calmness that seemed to emit from his presence. It felt nice. "We'll return to Cape Mary, right? You don't want to stay in New York forever, do you?"

"Hell no." he laughed, burying his nose in the middle of her disheveled hair, almost weeping with content. "I hate that city. Besides, my partner is in Cape Mary, isn't she?"

* * *

Upon their arrival in New York early in the morning, they were both annoyed and surprised to find Edward waiting for them, ready to take them to the ballet company immediately. He seemed more than eager to have them at practice, to show them how much more awesome New York was to Cape Mary, but what was more surprising was that Leon readily agreed. Sora almost laughed at her partner's attempts to dodge conversation-he was apparently still a little uneasy because of what he did.

Well, she thought gleefully, that gives me all the more opportunities for silent conversation, doesn't it.

Throughout the day, while Edward was engaging their attention, at practice or at the mini tour at Fifth Avenue, Sora used her time to do what May called 'shameless flirting' and was pleased that her cheeks didn't stain red every time Leon reacted to it. Apparently the cold air was getting to her, but it didn't help to cool down her giddiness when she got him. Whether it was at stretching, or while she danced with the rest of Edward's troupe, or when she hooked her leg around his when they were sitting, he would always respond, his eyes darkening to steel gray as they studied her innocent little smile. But he always kept his hands to himself, a perfect gentleman.

It was a little frustrating, but when she remembered what Sarah said, she cheered up again, knowing that he'd give in sooner or later.

* * *

He eyed the room for the umpteenth time today, clearly annoyed at the whole situation. His eyes fell on the note again and he crushed it in his fist, before hiding it in his pocket. Damn that Sarah.

Who else would've called the hotel staff to say that Mr. Oswald would be coming with his _wife_ and they needed to change the room for the _newlyweds. "Have fun, you lovebirds."_ He'd kill her when he came back, he really would. As if Sora wasn't enough all day, looking every bit of the goddess she was, but now he had to deal with the hotel staff calling Sora Mrs. Oswald.

She hadn't noticed that, or the bottle of champagne that Sarah had ordered for them, heading straight to the shower, exhausted from the whole day of practice and touring. He'd need a shower too, a very cold one, since all day he'd dealt with Sora's teasing. Like it wasn't enough that her friends had somehow managed to pack in her skinniest leotard (as if that was even possible), the knowledge of what the two of them had done less than 48 hours ago was making him edgy and nervous. He glanced more than often at the double bed, wondering just how loud the mattress would be, before he slapped himself and reminded himself that he'd be crashing in on the couch.

Just because she wasn't mad at him didn't mean anything. He hadn't even told her he loved her, damn it. He had to be firm, he had to put a reign on his emotions and act like the perfect gentleman he was, to make her feel loved and cherished and every bit the lady she was. Yup, he could pull this one off. Definitely.

"Ouch, damn it." he heard her putter and some shuffling in the bathroom. Without a second thought, he walked towards the bathroom, and managed to stop himself before he walked in, opting for a knock instead.

"Sora? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah….oh…I just….ouch…"

"What's going on in there?"

"I was just…damn it…I was getting dressed, but my hair got caught up with one of the hooks of my bra…I can't seem to get it out."

Leon blushed ten shades of red and cursed under his breath, before asking: "Would you like me to help you with that?" Jesus Christ, he hated how…needy that sounded. The bathroom was quiet, before she mumbled an ok. Sighing, he braced himself, trying to remember that this wasn't the first time he'd be seeing a naked woman, and stepped inside.

Luckily for him, she'd slipped into her jeans before moving to the upper part of her body, although she'd forgotten to fasten them properly…it was either that or she'd lost a few inches from her waist during this one practice. As it was, they were riding low, exposing the creamy flesh of her lower back and the upper edges of something red.

Red…good God, what was she going to do, taunt a bull. National debt, Leon, he reminded himself as he focused on the task at hand…and some task that was! She was still trying to get her hair loose, while holding the bra from falling, and he was honestly thinking that he would die, but he braced himself and walked around to her.

Even though she heard the door open and felt his eyes boring a hole into her as he studied her form, she was not prepared for the feeling of his rather cold hands on her back, and she yelped with surprise. She heard him chuckle dryly while he fiddled with her locks. "It seems some of the hooks got intertwined." He mumbled, the whiff of air rustling her hair gently.

"I should've known that May would pack the worst ones." She shook her head, hissing as he gently released her from the trap and she flexed her neck gently. She dug in her jeans pocket for something to tie her hair back, while he fiddled with the clasp. She found one of her white ribbons and she proceeded to use it to get her hair up…however, when she gathered it up in her hands, she felt Leon stifle behind her. "Are you alright, Leon?"

"Yeah." He croaked, trying to tear his eyes from the pretty white silken bow and her slender, white neck. What was he, a vampire or a guy with a ponytail fetish? Somebody kill me now, he thought half heartedly as her fixed the dreaded clasp, before his brain suddenly reached a conclusion. "Sora…"

"Yes?"

"Are you trying to punish me by teasing me to death?"

"Maybe." Her voice was calm, but he could feel the giggles resonate through her spine.

"Maybe?" Leon asked incredulously

"It depends."

"On?"

"Whether it works or not." She turned and grinned at him "If it works, fine, but if it doesn't, it's not like I'm your girlfriend or anything. You're pretty good at keeping your cool anyways."

"There…" he laughed, leaning in over her other side to wipe a stray bang back "You cannot be more wrong, Sora."

"About wha…" She yelped as she felt his hands trail down to the small of her back and press slightly. He chuckled before moving to kiss her neck.

"About what are you wrong?" Leon's hands were on either side of her waist now, right above the edge of her jeans, and she really, really wished she'd fastened them properly.

"About not being my girlfriend of course." He replied as he did that for her, then leaned over her to grab her T-shirt from the stall. "Put your hands up for me, please."

O-oh…Well, it wasn't like she could object anyways. Just having to listen to him talk like that was enough to render her incapable of any sort of higher brain activity, let alone talking. She put her hands up and let him put the shirt over her head, and then pull it down. She squeaked slightly when his fingertips grazed over her breast lightly. "You're not wrong about my capability of keeping my cool. It would be easier if you didn't tease me though." She grinned slyly, making him add wryly "You really don't want to be treated like a lady, are you."

"Given our track record, don't you think we need change?"

"Nope." He replied, squeezing her waist lightly before patting her towards the door "Now off with you, I need a shower as well."

She giggled "You're very sure of yourself, aren't you, Leon?'

"Shouldn't I be?" He raised an eyebrow…yeah, very undiplomatically

"That depends." Sora grinned "However, if you really are game, then you wouldn't mind it if I call the reception and ask them to take the couch out."

* * *

**A/N-Wonder how things got from serious to silly? Well, I'd like to know that too. Maybe your reviews will give me an idea. So review!**


	24. Chapter 24

Within minutes after Leon Oswald woke up from his slumber, he discovered that he was in hell and there was no way out of it…unless, of course, he risked to unhook Sora's hands from around his neck and wake her up. Oh, not to mention that to do that, he'd have to get his hands off her shoulders and waist, where they had been comfortably locked for the last ten hours or so. Apparently, his resolution to take things nice and easy was being tested a little too often for his liking.

He conveniently ignored the somewhat sly part of his mind that whispered that if he'd really wanted to prevent this from happening, he would've told Sora that the couch was staying, showing her that this chaste arrangement was nothing if not an expression of his earnest desire to make things right with this relationship. However, he hadn't stopped her from calling, his pride getting the best of him, and now he was suffering.

Not like the bed was an uncomfortable one. No, it was pretty large, with a cozy, quiet mat, giving them both enough space to toss and turn all they wanted without ever violating the other's personal space (a real miracle given that he was probably twice her size). It wasn't the lack of clothing either, although both had under packed for the trip and Sora's friends had somehow found it hilarious not to add PJs there. He'd thrown her one of his dress shirts, saying that they'd shop in the morning, hoping that it would be somehow better if she wore it instead of sleeping _au natural_.

However, waking up in the morning, he could barely resist the urge to scream in frustration. They'd fallen asleep somewhere in mid-conversation, about New York and the ballet company and the little tour they'd make tomorrow, but each had been in their respective corner of the bed, clutching their own pillows (him, a little tighter than necessary), at an arm's length from the other for good measure. Somehow, during the night, they'd ended up embracing the other, her using his shoulder for a pillow again and his nose was buried in her hair. By the feeling in his left arm, his shirt had somehow ridden up her torso, leaving her waist naked under the covers. He defeated the urge to peek, but his hand was running treacherous circles around the soft skin and he was biting back curses when she sighed contentedly.

_Man up, Oswald. _

"Sora…" he whispered, trying to wake her up "Sora…we've slept in."

She mumbled something incoherent and nuzzled the crook of his neck, again, causing him to let out a low string of curses. "Wake up, love, please. I'd hate shake you awake since you're having a good dream, but please wake up already." He really hated how needy he sounded, but right now he couldn't stoop down to the notebook to save him from the discomforts of intonation and emotion. For one thing, his hands weren't steady enough to hold anything resembling a pen. For another, she had to be awake to read it.

Luckily, she moved and finally opened her dozy eyes "Whu? Leon?" she sat up, and he let her go, thanking anyone who'd listen for this distraction. However, when she moved to rub her eyes, he cursed again-why the hell did the collar of his shirt have to hang so low? "What time is it?"

"I'm not sure but I'm pretty certain we've slept in." he also sat up, grateful at least that his pants had a lot of breathing room "My schedule really messed up this week."

"Yeah." She nodded, before looking at him "Say, Leon…do you want to stay in today? Maybe you need a little time after everything that happened. I know you threw flowers for Sophie in the ocean the other day, but…" she drawled on, hoping that he'd understand. And he did. Smiling, he pushed some stray bangs from her eyes and said:

"Don't worry. I had three years worth of time to grieve. I promised myself that I wouldn't let it get the best of me anymore."

"You really hate being weak, huh?" she giggled, leaning in to his touch.

"Yes." He nodded "Now…" Leon leaned in to study her expression better "What do you want us to do today? Other than get you some decent clothes, that is."

"Um, that's really not necessary." She grinned "I can deal easily with those that I have. Really."

"Yes, but I can't." he nudged her aside so that he could get off bed and slip into his shoes "You may not have noticed it before, Sora, but I am pretty set on being a gentleman and unfortunately that resolution of mine is always being put on a test every time I look at you."

She snorted "Liar. You cannot possibly have problems with me looking at this." Sora said, pointing at her disheveled hair and the oversized shirt for emphasis. Leon, however, leaned in to pull the ends of it tighter together over her collarbone.

"Especially when you look like this." He breathed against her lips, causing her to shiver "Luckily, you're not a man and you don't know what this does to me, but you'll have to take my words for granted when I say that you're really tempting me right now."

"Don't gentlemen kiss their ladies?" she asked, tipping her head back and grazing her lips over his in a silent invitation. He took a breath, before muttering a "Damn it all to hell" and kissing the daylights out of her. Sora giggled innocently when he brought her up to him, trying to make the moment last longer. However, there was nothing innocent in her when she wrapped her legs around his waist and nearly sent him tumbling over her on the bed.

"Enough…" he rasped, although the amused tone of his voice said otherwise. "You're going to make a liar out of me, Sora."

"Piano." She whispered.

"Huh?"

"You asked me what I wanted to do other than shop for clothes today. Let's find a piano, the ballet school's bound to have one. I want to hear you play."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked, slightly worried "Don't you prefer something else? Go to the observation deck of the Empire State Building? See the Statue of Liberty? Tourist stuff?"

"Just a little tune?" she begged

"We have plenty of pianos at Cape Mary, I can play whatever you want there." He frowned "Why are you so eager to hear me play now?"

"Because I want to be with you, and just you." She replied earnestly "Is that wrong?"

* * *

Like he could've denied her anything she asked, Leon rolled his eyes as an hour later, they were at the ballet company and secured themselves in one of the empty practice rooms. Sora plopped herself on a chair next to the old Ziemermann as he opened the lid. He ran his hands over the keys slowly, lovingly, before glancing at her "Requests?"

"Whatever you like best." She mumbled, looking at him through lowered eyelids, dreamily. He gulped, before turning his attention back to the instrument. After a brief hesitation he started playing the first part of Schubert's sonata No845. It had been quite a while since he'd played it…he'd forgotten some of the bars. He had to stop a few times and repeat a few bars until he got it right, but Sora didn't seem to mind. When he was done, he had to flex his fingers a little-too many accords. "That was scary, wasn't it?" she asked

"You don't know the half of it. Still, it's one of my favorites." He smiled "The Ballade I sent you was the one of Sophie's favorites."

"What does it speak about?" She asked, as he started plying the first few bars of it.

"About frustrated love of a water spirite who falls in love with a human but who's embrace is always fatal." He sighed "You can hear it, can't you?"

"It's like you." She whispered, standing up from her chair to move and embrace him from behind "You're always so troubled…why not let me in? Just this once?"

"I want to let you in, not just now." Leon replied, leaning back into her, his hands clasping over hers gently "I want to tell you everything, open myself to you and let you see all of me…I will do that too, soon…You ought to know what you're getting yourself into, anyway. But…right now, I just want to treat you nice."

"I don't mind the nice, but don't you think that your aloofness can be classified as rejection as well." Her eyes were sad as she said that. Before he could respond, her phone came to life and she reluctantly pulled away to answer.

_"Layla-san's getting married!" _May shrieked, not being one for formalities, especially when there was a juicy piece of gossip on the line _"Can you believe this!"_

"Yes, I can. She told me the other day."

_"WHAT?! She told you before she told us! How's that possible?!"_

"Well, we talked on the phone…."

_"Great! We had to wait until she came back. And then, out of nowhere, she took her glove off and there was the ROCK!"_ It had looked like a rather modest gem to her, but then again, May had seen it live _"Honestly, though, I'd never thought that Layla-san would be the type to prove her value as a bride."_ Her friend sneered at the phone.

"You breeched the subject with Ken, didn't you?" Sora groaned, imagining what her friend had felt

_"Yes, and he refused, damn it! I went on one knee and all, and he said I was in a hurry!"_ May screeched _"I swear, tonight I'm going to make him suffer."_

"May…"

_"Don't try to throw me off track Sora, I know what makes men tick and that'll…"_

"Did you ever try telling him you loved him?" she cut her off. There was silence on the other end of the line, before May stuttered

_"No…not yet. Too early."_

"Then? Don't you think you really are in a hurry? Layla-san and Yuri-san have known each other for almost seven years."

_"Yeah…but what about you and Leon?"_ May said defensively _"You guys just got together and yet you're madly in love. Don't try to deny it!"_ she snapped when Sora prepared to contradict _"I know that you two only leave your hotel room to go to the ballet company. Don't fool yourself that you're off the hook just because you sidetracked us for a day, missy, I want a full review of everything you guys did as soon as you come back, do you hear me?!"_

"Oh, look at the time, Leon-san and I were just about to go out to see the statue of Liberty. I'll see you around, May." Sora put an uncanny effort into sounding in a hurry, chirping that she'll bring her souvenirs, and hung up. Leon gave her a conspicuous look as she put the object in her coat pocket.

"I thought you didn't want to go sightseeing."

"If I told May you were playing the piano for me, she'd have flipped the board. Besides…" she curled her fingers underneath his ponytail and pulled at it playfully "I haven't been in New York before. They'd quarter me if I told them I didn't get them souvenirs."

* * *

He didn't say anything, and she didn't mention anything about the things they'd said to each other earlier. It was ok. They had all the time they wanted on their hands, and it was a pretty good shot that they would be spending it together. No need to rush things. Really. In spite of appearances, Leon was the more emotionally vulnerable of the two of them, and he was also the one who needed more time to accommodate. They'd both lost people they loved and had had to get over the pain, but their situations were so radically different that she had to hit her head in order not to squirm.

Leon was her first real love and her first sex partner. She knew almost for a fact that she was his first love, but she couldn't even fathom the number of women he'd been with over the years, though if May was any indication, he was pretty picky about that. Sora had lost her parents at a tender age, a time when only impressions remained clear into a person's head, and she had little reminder of them other than photos and the feeling of their love fore her. Leon had lost his sister four years ago to a similar car accident, but he'd been her only family, and the only person allowed by her deathbed-for him, the pain was both new and horrid, overpowering with every memory, and to him nearly everything, from his personal belongings to his occupation, reminded him of her.

He was slightly older than her, and yet it felt like they had a lifetime's worth of experiences that made them feel generations apart. It wasn't going to be easy to get him to open up to her again, she was sure of it.

But Sora didn't let that ruin her good mood. New York in the winter was fantastic enough for them to enjoy. There were still Valentine's day theme reminders on the stores, like large heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and slightly deflated balloons, and even some couple discounts were available in the cafés. The little bistro they sat in to have their lunch got them a complimentary tiramisu with two spoons in addition to their order, and while they ate their way through it Sora was pleased to find that Leon had a sweet tooth that could easily rival hers. Then they made their way to the Statue of Liberty, climbed the 146 stairs to the crown and admired the view from there…Ok, Leon admired it, Sora found it necessary to help an old lady who got so scared of the heights that she started hyperventilating. To his credit, he volunteered to carry the said lady down the stairs, and did so, until the lady's grandson intervened and took over. He grumbled about it until they reached the peer and Sora rubbed his shoulders and back while they waited for the ferry.

Bliss.

By the time they returned to the hotel, she was hyped up on candy and new impressions. The gloom mood from the morning had somehow dispersed, making way for a much cheerful atmosphere. Leon couldn't help but laugh at her giddiness as she pointed at things and talked about them nonstop like an impressionable child, and found himself more often than not tucking her under his arm, holding her close to him while they waded their way through the crowds. It would've been funny if it wasn't for his fear that he might lose her in this huge city. Cape Mary barely counted 30,000 people on a good day, it was nothing to New York. He even let her interest him in souvenir shopping and he actually laughed with her as they picked up tablets like "I'd cut down on chocolate, but I'm no quitter" or "Sorry for the mess, it's the maid's day off" as gifts for their friends.

She nearly got him to forget his vow to get her a decent pair of P.J.s, and he almost regretted that he remembered, because in the entire store there wasn't an article that didn't look terribly…attractive on Sora. Even pink elephants on a blue background, damn it, and it was a child's nightdress! Finally, they got a steel gray one that was actually a man's model, but they took the smallest size they had, and Leon forced her on an impromptu tour of the other shops to distract her from making sly comments about his purchase.

"I still don't get why you thought that I need all of these." She scoffed as he calmly disposed the purchases on the bed "I mean, I understand that you don't want me to tease you tonight, but why did we have to search through the entire store for a white dress?" Alright, she did know why-Layla had called her earlier to tell her that the wedding was very likely to be in the summer, and that she would need something white for the occasion, but Sora honestly didn't see a reason to make Leon buy it for her. Hell, she would probably need a suitcase to carry all the things back, and when she'd pointed that out to him, in a miserable attempt to suggest that the shopping spree should end, he'd calmly replied that they'd take a trip to Samsonite tomorrow and pick something out for her. That man honestly had no limits into making her uncomfortable. Good thing she'd been careful not to look at the screens of the jewelry shops they passed, and she managed to keep him off the most expensive stores-she had the lingering feeling that if she commented on something she liked, hell, if she even looked at it for too long, he'd calmly march inside and buy it for her before she could stop him.

"The best time to buy clothes for the summer is the winter." He pointed out as he consulted his watch whether or not he could call for room service or not. "You get the best of discounts. By the way, did Layla say anything about accessories? Maybe you could use a new necklace for the wedding. I still haven't picked you out a gift for the performance of Swan Lake, you know."

"Leon." She said sternly "Although I can see that you can't be less interested in that, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't spend so much on me."

"Why?" he looked at her incredulously, before plopping down on the bed in an uncharacteristic display of playfulness "Aren't women supposed to like gifts? Shouldn't I display my affection for the woman I adore somehow?"

"You don't have to prove anything." She huffed "Besides, there are more modest ways you could display that. It makes me feel uneasy because I cannot possibly reciprocate them, and you'd hardly let me reciprocate them either. It's not…fair."

"I'm a flawed and impatient person, Sora. Forgive me, but I don't understand your reasoning." There was a twinkle in his eyes that suggested quite the opposite "If you don't like them, however…"

"That's not it…" she mumbled "I like them a lot. I like the attention, too, and I'm also flattered that you don't really care for money when it comes down to that. But…" Sora added in a stronger voice, looking at him "I don't want this…us…to be like that. That's not the reason I'm with you, and while it's pretty obvious that you're with me for myself, I'd like it if we stood on an even ground on this."

"I already know that." He leaned in and kissed her nose, much to her bafflement "I'm not naïve, Sora. I've had plenty of partners, and, I'm a little ashamed to say it, but some of them, not all, but some, I've known…intimately." She fidgeted in her seat, but he held her hand, turning her towards him and cupping her jaw. "I know it's painful, I know I should be feeling bad for being so insensitive in the past, but that doesn't make them less a part of my life than they have been. Please listen to me…" she nodded "I hardly ended my relationships with them cordially, but after each and every one of them, I became disappointed because their goal was to change me."

"Change you?"

"Yes. They had the notion that I was…broken, somehow, and that I needed to be fixed. You're the only one who didn't try to change my life and decided to accept me as I am instead. Believe me, I know when a woman cares for something substantial and not. I want to pamper you because you deserve it."

"It's still a little mean." She pouted, putting her forehead to his "I can't give you anything in return, and I feel bad for not being able to tell you I love you because I feel bad."

"So you love me." His eyes twinkled

"I love you." She repeated, blushing profusely. Leon titled her head up and kissed her lips.

"I love you too."

* * *

**A/N-Almost done here, next up is the Epilogue. It was a good run, but I have to end this, sooner or later. I actually planned this to be the end, but decided that one more chappie wouldn't hurt. **

**As for the Schubert Sonata Leon plays in this chapter, I suggest you look it up, it's awesome. I played it today...my fingers still hurt, but it was damn worth it.**

**Review!**


	25. Epilogue

She stirred and cracked one eye open, prudently, examining her surroundings cautiously. The air in the room was dense with nerves and she was feeling like a Jack in a Box, wound up and ready to spring at the smallest indication of movement of the other occupant in the room. Many animals played dead to escape a dangerous predator and Sora Naegino, proud member of the Homo Sapiens species, was no different. Slowly, she crawled out of bed and all but ran towards the bathroom door, before pouncing inside and holding at the door before it creaked and announced her moving about.

Given, it wasn't traditionally boyfriends that were dead asleep that were dangerous, but Leon Oswald was pretty unpredictable when he woke up, and he was strangely strict when it came to his rule not to leave the bed before seven…apparently, that applied to her as well, although she'd pointed out numerously that she couldn't stay in bed when she had an important day to come around. To that, he had replied that she'd get up when the day was important, but it wouldn't be in his bed.

It was an oxymoron, Sora thought sourly, since they spent every night in one of their respective rooms. Sometimes they'd be so tangled up in each other they couldn't breathe. Sometimes she'd just stay over for dinner until it was too late and he wouldn't let her go. Sometimes he'd soundlessly slip through her balcony doors to lie down in her bed because he missed her.

And if he doesn't, I go to him, she smiled as she watched the masculine body sprawled across the sheets, already nuzzling her pillow, missing hr warmth. Her heart didn't let her to close the door completely and she left it slightly ajar before stepping in the shower and turning the water on. It was the day of Layla-san's wedding-he'd understand.

The last few months had been haven. In spite of May's sauciest predictions, Leon had managed to survive without sex for a whole month of teasing before he finally gave in, and took her to his bedroom (of course, to give her credit, they did manage to perform several other activities that could be blamed for his patience with things).

Sex or not, they were happy. Nobody knew why, but they were silly, giddy, overjoyed, and simply content with anything when in the other's company. So much that they hardly ever argued anymore (serious fights, not the semi-regular exchanges meant to fuel up the make-up sex afterwards), and it was almost possible to convince Leon to play in a tutu if it meant that Sora would wield the sword.

Almost. Nobody dared find out for sure how far their boundaries went. Not even Sora, who was still a little afraid that she might actually wake up after a beautiful dream.

It wasn't because she doubted him in some way. She was well aware that his 'partner' history, both in the professional and the sexual sense, was very illustrious and much diverse. Women like May and Emma had both passed through his hands, as the Grim Reaper and the Silver Pegasus of the stage, just like she was now, only Leon was taking great care to make this last. Just because of that she was willing to put aside her insecurities, not press him for details regarding his previous life, and not compare herself to all the other woman.

Strangely enough, the reason why she wasn't quite ready to test their relationship was because she didn't feel a need to. Sure, women were generally expected to want flowers and sweet nothings, insignificant and not so insignificant gifts and every sort of romantic event in the book carried out for them, but it was also true that without the guy participating in them, it lost all meaning. It was just nice to be with him, so touch him, to be able to hold him and kiss him without feeling insecure about it. She'd been longing to do that for so long that now, she couldn't get enough of it. Besides, there was something intoxicating whenever she saw him respond to every little jesture, every turn of her head, every phrase she uttered, or how pleased he was to just be in her presence. The power was amazing.

Besides, Leon didn't need to be reminded, as far as romantic gestures were concerned. In his most comic desire to make up for some past transgression or another, he'd gone out of his way to take her to every place considered romantic in Cape Mary-restaurants, movie theatres, plays, even the hated dancing club where they never failed to make his former partner Christina livid when he swept her off her feet at the end of the dance and carried her out. He also seemed compelled to pay for anything she bought lately, even going out of his way to shop for her when her period made her double in cramps. Most of the time she fidgeted with uneasiness, but she was still happy because he was that attentive.

There was a quiet whoosh behind her, a distinct sign of another presence, and suddenly, the tiny bathroom felt terribly…cramped. Sora giggled slightly when his large hands smoothed her bangs back to bare her neck, so that he could place a kiss on the back of her neck.

"Careful." She giggled "I am wearing a dress today."

"You'll wear your hair down." He replied ruthlessly, reaching over to squeeze some shampoo into his hand and ran his hands slowly through her pink hair. She purred as his fingertips massaged her skull, then ran down her neck, slowly. Her breath hitched. His hands traveled lower and lower, brushing past her breasts and teasing the pert nipples just lightly before trailing a path down her stomach.

"Leon…" she breathed weakly, feeling the familiar light-headedness and the weakness settling in her neck and shoulders. Soon, she wouldn't be able to stand on her own two feet and the guy knew it. "Leon, we'll be late."

"The wedding's at 10, I don't see how you wouldn't be able to fix yourself up for…oh, three hours or so." He chuckled darkly "Besides, you know how I _hate_ waking up alone, don't you?"

"Oh God…" she braced her hand on the white tiled wall as his hands gave a gentle squeeze to her hips and then moved further in. She moaned quietly, but before she could all but register the motion, Leon had somehow spun her around so that she could face him, pressing her back against the shower wall. However, she didn't realize why she felt so weird until she realized he'd somehow plopped one of her legs on his shoulder. She must've looked like a dear in the headlights because his grin was positively wicked.

"Payback for last night." He grinned.

* * *

In the end, Sora hopped out of the shower, leaving him to finish his dress alone, and she could swear she heard him whistle something while he rubbed shampoo in his hair. From the last few months, her general knowledge of music had grown tremendously and she recognized the tune from the last aria of the first act of "The Marriage of Figaro".

_Non più andrai, farfallone amoroso,_

_Notte e giorno d'intorno girando,_

_Delle belle turbando il riposo,_

_Narcisetto, Adoncino d'amor._

Her Italian was almost zero, but she knew well enough that she was basically being told that she couldn't be allowed to be cocky anymore. Well…yupee for gymnastics, otherwise she didn't know how she would've pulled that one off. Smiling to herself, she dried her hair off, not in too much hurry to get dressed, and made a show out of putting out her clothes and examining them, just in her panties, when Leon exited the bathroom.

He let out a groan and she smirked to herself as she reached for her bra. _Cock-a-doodle, monsieur. _

"You're going to be the death of me." She could practically hear him shake his head before he came up behind her and clasped the bra carefully. Then, he pulled away to dress himself up while she shimmered into her dress, taking great care with the zipper as the frilly lace was hardly going to withstand any serious assault. She turned around to find him staring at her with that peculiar expression on his face, the one he had when he was torn between restraint and…well, eating her up alive.

Sora chuckled and made a little twirl to prove her point "You like?"

"Naturally." He grinned as he pulled a white dress shirt on. He'd been thoughtful enough to bring his own change of clothes with him last night and she was rather pleased to see him in something other than his black and black variety. Everyone would wear white today, and Leon, with his ghostly hair and violet eyes, seemed like an angel even in her dingy room…what was left for a beach full of sunshine? Her chest swelled deliciously.

"Where were you yesterday, anyway?" he asked as she fastened her locket, yes, the same locket he'd borrowed on the earlier days of their courtship, around her neck. Granted, it had been polished clean and it had acquired a new chain that suited it better, so it went perfectly with her pale complexion and white dress. "You left with Layla and the others and didn't come back until noon."

"Oh, we went to the shopping centre, to get some…girl things." She blushed "And Layla-san wanted us to be at her last gown fitting, to see if we like how it looks like in the end."

"See anything you like?" he asked, his voice somehow inquisitive, as if there was more meaning to his question then one might think. A second later, she dismissed it cheerfully by saying:

"Yes, Layla-san's dress was absolutely stunning. I forgot my English back there and just gushed in Japanese. You'll see, she'll look like a queen in it!" he rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm, and she was quick to dismiss his wistful tone from earlier as a part of her imagination. After all…to ask your girlfriend if she saw anything she liked in a dress shop, a bridal dress shop on top of all, it was like suggesting…but she was having none of that. She wasn't going to start wondering what was going on in his head, clearly because the last time she did that she obviously misinterpreted everything.

Well…that and the fact that no boyfriend would even consider…STOP!

Leon finished dressing and turned to her while pulling his mane of white hair back in a pony tail. This was becoming a favorite hairstyle since both their appearances suffered severe damage over the last few months, but damn was it worth it. "Shall we go?" he offered her another one of his smiles and led her out of the dorms.

* * *

In spite of Layla's best efforts to have a small wedding, the guest list was for almost three hundred people-friends and family, yes, but also business partners of Kalos and her father, old acquaintances of Yuri's family, everyone bringing at least one person with them. The people that they had to invite alone were a reason for the two stars to postpone the wedding with at least a month, and go through all the dangerous hoopla that they wanted to avoid (What shade of white should they use for the tablecloths? And what shape should be the clips that held the dinner cards?).

However, Layla still had it her way about having a beach wedding, so at 10 o'clock sharp the entire cast of Kaleido stage, a few hundred billionaires and their families and nearly every person on The Time's Richest People in the World list was gathered at the sunlit strip of sand near Cape Mary. Every parking lot and street in a ten block radius were full of the expensive Volvos, Limos, BMVs and probably a dozen other super-brands were clogging the city's already weak traffic arteries and the good citizens were having a hard time believing what was happening. Not to mention that, other than the already many guests, half the city had gathered close to the beach to see the show.

But Layla Hamilton was nothing if not cold-blooded. And Yuri wasn't going to fall behind. As soon as the song started (Feel by Robbie Williams, since Mendelssohn was too traditional for the two of them), he straightened up, squeezing Leon and Ken's hands in a very man-to-man sign of gratitude before looking down the isle where Sora and May were preparing the crowd for Layla's grand entrance. Leon noticed Ken wince slightly as his girlfriend waltzed down the isle in a too short, too frilly dress that she probably wore for his benefit alone, but all his speculation on whether the boy would know what to do or not were gone when Sora gracefully stepped on the isle and smiled brightly at him, while Layla in all her designer glory stood behind her, looking every bit of the queen she was.

But Leon only had eyes for Sora.

He winced slightly, but smirked in response as she took her place. Yuri hurried to meet his bride halfway, earning a snigger from the crowd and smack with the bouquet from her, but she looked more amused than annoyed when he led her to the altar and helped her sit while he knelt in her feet. Yes, her dress was simple and elegant, but all of that white chiffon was heavy. She raised an eyebrow at his position, but brushed it off completely when the master of ceremonies commenced his speech.

She'd never been happier in her life.

* * *

Leon glanced curiously at his little partner as she chatted about everything and nothing at the same time. The reception at the Hamilton Hotel was in full swing, but everyone they knew had somehow excused themselves from the party-Mia and Aaron had to pick Marion from the baby sitter, Anna and Dio were getting busy somewhere, even Layla and Yuri had decided to go to their suite before ten. The top stars of Kaleido stage had hung around a little longer out of courtesy, but when they witnessed May dragging Ken on the balcony, before proceeding to go down on one knee and offer the stunned boy a ring (again), they'd decided that it was high time to get a move on.

She was wrapped up in his coat, something he'd decided to take just in case the party dragged on. He smiled proudly, a person who'd just come in touch with his inner caveman; and quite frankly seeing her like this, so totally in her ease around him, wearing his clothes, reaching over and touching his hand or hair when they sat together...it was all very pleasing. He felt both proud and ashamed when he made a comparison with how things had stood last year for them. Back then he'd still been grief-struck, aloof, cruel…how did she end up loving him was beyond him.

"Honestly, though…" he mused as they walked near the pear "Everyone is crazy with their proposals lately. First Yuri engages Layla to himself without even asking her about it, and now May actually breaches all the rules by doing the proposing herself. People nowadays are impossible."

"I don't know." Sora mused, grazing some of the icing of the cake she was carrying it and holding up her finger for him to lick. Leon complied with a little too much enthusiasm, but that didn't deter him from his previous question.

"How so? Don't you dream of the perfect proposal and stuff?" he asked "Killian was pretty cowardly for not asking his wife first, and May is a little too eager to be like Layla to consider how important marriage is."

"Yeah, but…Yuri-san and Layla-san love each other, and they've pretty much loved each other since forever. And May and Ken are great together, they make each other happy, so why not get hitched?" she smiled

"So you just have to make each other happy?" Leon mumbled

"Well, I'd be considerate. With Layla-san busy at Broadway I have to take care of Kaleido stage and stuff…"

"Stuff…" he mused, before throwing one of her arms over his shoulder and lifting her up, carrying her on his hip like a child. "So what other stuff, Sora? I'm curious to know."

"Huh? Well…you know, the usual. I'm too young, I have to make Kaleido stage work, I have a lot of responsibilities. Besides, it's not like you…" she bit her tongue and went silent. He glanced up at her and sighed.

"You seem very keen on keeping me out of the equation." He asked, stopping to put her down in front of the steps before rummaging through his pockets for the dorm key "And just for the record, aren't you tired?"

"Huh?" Sora blinked as they stepped into the hallway, but even though she was confused she let him carry her up the stairs "What are you talking about?"

"Aren't you tired of this routine? Don't you want it to change? I love you, you know." He seemed a little more than annoyed at her utter incapability to understand what he was talking about "I'm not going to run off or leave you alone. If it depends on me, I'd never leave your side, although that arrangement seems utterly ridiculous at the moment."

"Well excuse me for thinking that six months is a little too early for us to be thinking about anything." Sora rolled her eyes when he set her down on the coach and proceeded to remove her shoes and rub the soles of her feet "You're strangely unrealistic for someone like yourself, Leon."

"Maybe you're right." He mused "But what am I supposed to do when after all this time, the idea of you not being with me makes me almost physically ill? Is it so wrong that I want to be with you all the time?"

"No." she replied, moving up to rest her head on his shoulder "Because I feel the same way. But what would happen if we wake up one day and this is over?"

"We won't let it be over." He promised, letting go of her legs and embracing her so that she was fully plastered on him "I won't allow it."

She closed her eyes and exhaled. It was all too much, but it was such a wonderful folly that she thought that she wouldn't mind having more of it anytime soon. She felt him shift and mumble: "So, back to my question?"

"Weren't we on that until now?" she asked incredulously

"I wonder if you aren't tired of all this moving around every night." He explained, motioning towards his room. "We both spend all the time in each other's company, and there is as much stuff that belongs to you here as there is mine back in your room."

"You know we can't move in the same dorm room. Sarah-san may be open-minded, but I don't think it'd set up a good example." Sora yawned, feeling her eyelids become heavy with every moment. Leon stroked her hair pensively.

"I know. How about a three-bedroom?"

"Huh?" Once again, she looked up at him, questioning.

"On the other hand, one bedroom would be enough-I can't have you sleep in a guest room when you're mad at me." Leon went on "Though I have to say with the liking you've taken to piano lately, we'd need a separate room for an instrument. What do you say-should we get a stand-up one or a grand?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, blinking owlishly

"Our apartment, Sora." He explained, exasperated "Should we take a three-bedroom one, or just a one-bedroom and convert the living room into a music room?"

It took her a few minutes to proceed what he was asking of her. "You want me to move in?"

"Yes." He explained curtly, stroking her cheek "If you want to, that is."

"Jerk." She smacked him half-heartedly across the head "You already know I'd say yes! Why are you making such a fuss out of it?"

Leon made a show of producing an offended face, but in the end it proved rather futile when she kissed it away for less than a second. If he wasn't trying to make a fuss out of it, why wouldn't he be telling her that he'd already purchased a condo in a walking distance from the stage? Women. You can't understand them, but you can't live without them either…As his arms wrapped around her again, almost crushing her in his embrace, he thought he'd like nothing better than to let her have her way…until tomorrow maybe.

And every hereafter that came.

* * *

**A/N-Holy shit, it's done *weeps* It's over...Nah, who am I kidding, I'll probably write something as soon as I catch a case of insomnia again. **

**Seriously now, I'm feeling like a giddy minor Oscar nominee who has just won their award and is now throwing his/her speech to the more than bored audience. That's the good stuff with fanficiton, though, you don't have to read the Author's Notes unless you wanna. **

**Anyway, I'm both sad and relieved I finished this. Sad, because, well, as cheesy as this sounds, this fic is the best (and probably cheesiest) thing I've written so far in this section, in my modest opinion, so I'm quite proud of it and didn't quite want the experience to end. Apparently, my reluctance to end the experience has manifested in a raging author's block, which is why you guys got this chapter with two week delay, and I'm relieved I got over it. **

**I'd like to thank littlemissvampire21, Caithdean, ikutoJS, Tsukiakage, flare-hugs, Miss Layla, Kioji, Sarah8 and all you other wonderful, wonderful people who reviewed and encouraged me to continue even when I was downright impossible, but then again, for six months, I guess your patience really withered. **

**Of course, special, huge, amazing THANKYOU to Royal blueKitsune whom I scared and (hopefully) pleased with these chapters, I hope you enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed yours. Thank you for the patience and help.**

**As for my plans for the future...well, I'm in my senior year so you guys shoud prepare for even less frequent updates on No Happily Ever Afters, but (hint, hint), if I per chance get some good news in January, you'll all get a super-extra-amazing fic, on your choice. **

**As a devoted Marc Levi fan, I had an idea about a fic from one of his books, "Seven Days for an Eternity", a Sora/Leon romance featuring all your beloved Angel and Demon themes in their fullest. I put it up on debate-there's a poll on my profile, it's up to you, you gullable people, to decide whether or not it should be made real (btw, if that was LadyArcana81 that voted for "No", I put the cheesy part in the description for your pleasure alone)**

**Again, thank you, Royal blueKitsune, thank you guys, thank you for the support and patience and I hope you enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Kudos to you. *bows and exits* Now where's my round of applause?**


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